Bermaggedon?

John Gillon from

Bermaggedon? Auckland Council recently lost the argument to ban parked vehicles from parking on grass berms.
According to the law (see clause 6.2 below), you MUST park your car on the grass berm (as long as you aren't damaging it) instead of the road if there is space and there is not a sign saying that you can't park there.
However, you can't drive "along" the footpath to get there (see clauses 2.13 & 6.14 below), so you would need to use a driveway and you can't drive "on" (as in 'along') the grass (see clause 2.14 below).
If there are services under the berm that need to be protected, then the onus is on Auckland Council to protect them, or install a "no parking" sign.
So please continue to wash your cars on the grass - it is the best place to do it to keep soap and dirt out of the stormwater stream system. Just don't damage the grass or plantings.

6.2 Parking vehicles off roadway
(1) A driver or person in charge of a vehicle must not stop, stand, or park the vehicle on a roadway if he or she can stop, stand, or park it on the road margin without damaging ornamental grass plots, shrubs, or flower beds laid out or planted on the margin.
(2) Subclause (1) does not apply if the road controlling authority provides signs or markings, or makes a bylaw, indicating that a rule different from the one in subclause (1) applies.

6.14 Parking on footpaths or cycle paths
(1) A driver or person in charge of a vehicle must not stop, stand, or park the vehicle on a footpath or on a cycle path.
(2) Subclause (1) does not apply to cycles if a road controlling authority indicates otherwise by means of signs or markings or if it installs facilities for the parking, standing, or storage of cycles on a footpath or cycle path.
(3) Nothing in subclause (1) prevents a person from stopping, standing, or parking a cycle, mobility device, or wheeled recreational device on a footpath if doing so does not unreasonably obstruct any other user of the footpath.

2.13 Driving along footpath
(1) A driver must not drive a motor vehicle along a footpath.
(2) Subclause (1) does not apply to a person who rides a moped or motorcycle on a footpath in the course of delivering newspapers, mail, or printed material to letter boxes if the road controlling authority has authorised the use of the footpath for that purpose.

2.14 Driving on lawn, garden, or other cultivation
A driver must not drive a motor vehicle on a lawn, garden, or other cultivation adjacent to, or forming part of, a road.