Just over three months into a year-long pilot to improve parking in and around Onehunga Mall, the early feedback is positive, with more flexible parking time limits leading to a decline in parking infringements.
The pilot launched in May with the introduction new timed parking limits, including 60-minute parking (P60) along Onehunga Mall between Church Street and Grey Street, and 120-minute parking (P120) on surrounding streets including Princes Street, Church Street, Waller Street and Arthur Street.
As a result, parking infringements are reducing, with 305 per week issued in the 2024/2025 financial year, 186 per week in 2025/2026 and so far, 87 per week in 2026/2027.
The Maungakiekie-Tamaki Local Board has been working with Auckland Transport on the pilot and chair Debbie Burrows says the early feedback is encouraging.
“It’s great to hear that so far there are fewer fines with the extended parking time periods, we’ve got until next year to collate more data and feedback, but at the moment we’re making it easier for our community and visitors to spend time in the town centre and not have the stress of coming back to a possible fine.
“We also have a massive amount of investment currently happening and planned for Onehunga’s town centre, and over the next few years we’ll have a better, and more-connected town centre, so we want to ensure we’ve got our parking situation right.”
John Strawbridge, Group Manager Parking Services at Auckland Transport, adds:
“AT has been working closely with the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board to improve the parking experience in Onehunga and the initial data is looking promising, but indicating that not every change we have made is working.
“The data is only part of the story, and we very much want to hear from stakeholders who use the parking on a day-to-day basis as to how and where we can make further changes. We are planning a drop-in session in the town centre to give people the chance to speak to the team directly but we welcome ongoing feedback.”
Onehunga main street.
Auckland Transport have in-person engagement sessions at the Onehunga Community Centre (Mountjoy Room): Thursday 3 September, 4-6pm and Saturday 5 September, 12-2pm. To provide feedback online, please visit AT.govt.nz and search Onehunga Mall parking pilot.
Onehunga’s future: current and planned investment
The current parking pilot comes at a time of significant investment into Onehunga, with projects from council’s Auckland Urban Design Office expected to bring even more people into the area.
Work on the Waiapu Precinct is underway, and is expected to be completed in 2027, this project consists of new green spaces, a public plaza, a family-friendly play space, infrastructure upgrades, improved walking and cycling connections with Onehunga Mall and overall making the town centre better-connected.
Also, longer-term there is the Te Pūmanawa o Onehunga precinct project, located between Church Street and Princes Street, this work includes a new multi-purpose community hall, replacing the Pearce Street Hall, and new town square.
The future stages of Te Pūmanawa o Onehunga include an outdoor youth space, north–south walking and cycling connection, linking to the Waiapu Precinct and the Onehunga Train Station, as well as a separate project for a new indoor recreation facility to replace the Sir William Jordan Recreation Centre.
Construction on the first stages of this project is expected to commence in 2029.