Anger over cuts to staff parking

Anger is being expressed by businesses at Queenstown’s Remarkables Park facing a squeeze on staff parking.

Shopping centre management’s told tenants 115 unsealed parks on the Hawthorne Dr/Cherry Blossom Ave corner will no longer be available for staff parking — instead, they’ll be leased out to businesses, from April 1, for $1300 plus GST per year.

Ricky Proctor, who owns Queenstown Furniture Gallery and BedsRus, was told his staff can use four parks in an area behind several buildings, including his one, out of 119 altogether.

He says ‘‘we’ve been having about eight staff carparks for the last five years’’.

‘‘A reason why we can manage to get staff here and actually keep them is because they can get free carparks, and it’s nice and easy to get to work.

‘‘When we pay exorbitant rent as it is, free carparking should be available.’’

He suggests staff who can’t find parks ‘‘are just gonna fill the streets up, which is gonna to be a nightmare’’.

Specsavers Optometrists retail director Leigh Jackson says he was told there were only 61 parks for 61 tenants.

He’s got 13 staff on his books and seven in-store daily.

‘‘I’m waiting to see whether my staff have issues and end up complaining or end up looking for other jobs because they can’t park freely where they need to.

‘‘My business partner and I are looking to have to [each] pay $1500 just to be able to not get caught up in what I like to consider the parking hunger games that are about to take place.’’

Jackson says centre management ‘‘want us to purchase a lease to come and operate and provide business and services to people to draw them to their centre, and you’re not going to allow us to park anywhere’’. He thinks there’ll be a few tenants who’ll think twice about renewing their leases.

Asked to respond, centre manager Nick Lambert says ‘‘the owners have asked me not to comment, and they won’t be commenting either’’.

scoop@scene.co.nz