New parking charges to come into effect as Taupō Airport comes of age
New parking charges will come into effect when Taupō Airport’s new terminal opens; and reflect the growth of the airport and its surrounding business precinct.
The new charges will help to maintain the newly-constructed airport carpark and terminal, which is currently underway with a budget of $9.237 million. Of that, $3.367 million was allocated in Council’s Long Term Plan, along with a $5 million grant from the Crown’s Provincial Development Unit, and $870,000 from the Ministry of Transport. Work is scheduled for completion in December.
The development includes a new sealed carpark with more parking spaces and lighting to replace the old carpark which was unlit and grassed.
Taupō District Council deputy chief executive Julie Gardyne says the carpark charges reflect the council’s user-pays philosophy and will help reduce the financial impact on ratepayers.
“The new carpark is a huge improvement over the previous one, being much safer for winter use when flights are arriving in darkness, and a lot easier to navigate in the wet,” Ms Gardyne said.
“The intended charge structure, which is subject to Ministry of Transport approval, will see the first 30 minutes free, so people can do drop offs and picks up. Then fees of $2 per hour will apply up to a maximum of $14 for 24 hours. The best part is, the system is fully automated, with cameras registering vehicle registration numbers, and then users can pay at the barrier or at terminals in the carpark. We’ll also be looking at long-term concession rates if there is demand.”
Ms Gardyne said Taupō Airport was one of the few regional airports to still have unpaid parking.
“Its level of operations have increased considerably over the years, so we need to make sure that it is properly funded by those that use it most. The contributions from the parking will be invested back into running the airport and its infrastructure. Our airport is transitioning from a medium-sized regional airport to an important transport hub and business precinct that plays an important economic role for our entire district, and the charges we have settled on are very competitive, being lower than all other airports of comparable size. For example, Napier Airport charges $5 per hour and it is $4 per hour at Rotorua Airport.”
Taupō Airport Authority (TAA) chairman Chris Johnston said the new airport terminal was going to be a huge asset to the whole district as it welcomed visitors as well as offering a better travel experience for locals.
“The TAA has been working towards this day for nearly 10 years,” Mr Johnston said. “The new terminal looks very impressive and is going to be a world class facility, designed and built by Taupō locals.
“It is really exciting to see it now coming of age and opening up even more potential. Our passenger numbers have returned to 90 percent of their pre-Covid levels, which is fantastic. It’s important to remember that it takes a huge amount of work to keep an airport of this size functioning. Everything from staffing to wildlife control, runway maintenance and maintaining safety levels - and yes, car parks - has to be a part of a business model and the new parking charges are part of this.”
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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4.6% Second half of November
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43.4% 1st December
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17.6% A week before Christmas
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33.3% Whenever you wish
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1.1% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️