The rules run daily from 8am to 7pm. Drivers get 90 minutes free once they’ve entered their licence plate into the online system, then it’s $3 an hour, or $5 an hour for vehicles towing trailers, capped at $22 for the day. There’s also a 15-minute drop-off and pick-up window that needs no registration at all.
Club members catch a break of sorts: four hours free parking for after-school, evening and half-day activities. Full-day events and Sundays are a different story, and the club says those will be harder to manage. For now, members need to front up at the Sailing Office to claim their exemption, though a self-service option is in the works.
Royal Akarana isn’t pretending to be happy about any of it. The club says it “does not support this change and is extremely disappointed with the outcome, particularly given the commitments made to the club throughout the consultation process that our members would not be adversely affected.” It also points out the club sees none of the parking revenue, and says it’ll keep pushing the issue with council on behalf of its members and other boaties who use the area.
For anyone wanting to dodge the charges altogether, parking along Tāmaki Drive stays free round the clock. Boat storage inside the buildings isn’t affected by any of this, though boats stored at the south end of the car park may need to be moved.
