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RNZ News
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- RNZ News
Wellington Council cops flak after damaged car sits in carpark for week
Photo: RNZ / Jazlyn Whales An abandoned car, which has sat damaged across multiple car parks on a busy Wellington street for more than a week, is due to be towed Tuesday. The silver sedan has broken windows, no plates and a piece of police tape wrapped around it, and is parked diagonally across two spaces by Waitangi Park on the corner of Oriental Parade and Herd Street. The police said, as the car wasn't blocking a roadway or posing a risk to the public, it was not their jurisdiction to tow it, but the Wellington City Council's. The council told RNZ on Tuesday as it wasn't a traffic safety hazard, it had been giving the owner of the vehicle time to organise its removal - but it had become clear that wasn't going to happen. The plan was to tow it and put it into storage that day. Local resident Jose Ubiaga said he had first seen the car a week ago, and he walked past it each morning. "I just assumed it would be there for a couple of days, not thinking a week later it would still be sitting there, damaged, taking up two parks, and looking like an eye-sore," he said. His post on social media had garnered a lot of angry comments from other Wellingtonians. He said it wasn't a good look. "It's little things like this that degrade our city, and don't help us at all," he said. "It's crazy that it's still there." Councillor Ben McNulty had responded to social media discussion about the car online, and said he had sent a "please explain" request to council staff earlier on Tuesday morning. Photo: RNZ / Jazlyn Whales He said it was clear they were aware of the car, as there was a yellow sticker on the windscreen. Usually, they waited a period of 48 hours for the owner to make contact, and then towed the vehicle. "It's just a billboard for council looking like it hasn't done it's job, because it hasn't on this one," he said. "You couldn't have put it in a much more prevalent spot in Wellington if you tried." But the council said as the car wasn't posing a safety risk - although its location had meant it had attracted a high amount of public interest - it had given the owner some extra leeway to remove it themselves. "It's obviously become clear that the owner isn't willing or able to do the job so we'll do it and aim to recover costs."
RNZ News
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- RNZ News
Wellington Council cops flak as after damaged car sits in carpark for week
Photo: RNZ / Jazlyn Whales An abandoned car, which has sat damaged across multiple car parks on a busy Wellington street for more than a week, is due to be towed Tuesday. The silver sedan has broken windows, no plates and a piece of police tape wrapped around it, and is parked diagonally across two spaces by Waitangi Park on the corner of Oriental Parade and Herd Street. The police said, as the car wasn't blocking a roadway or posing a risk to the public, it was not their jurisdiction to tow it, but the Wellington City Council's. The council told RNZ on Tuesday as it wasn't a traffic safety hazard, it had been giving the owner of the vehicle time to organise its removal - but it had become clear that wasn't going to happen. The plan was to tow it and put it into storage that day. Local resident Jose Ubiaga said he had first seen the car a week ago, and he walked past it each morning. "I just assumed it would be there for a couple of days, not thinking a week later it would still be sitting there, damaged, taking up two parks, and looking like an eye-sore," he said. His post on social media had garnered a lot of angry comments from other Wellingtonians. He said it wasn't a good look. "It's little things like this that degrade our city, and don't help us at all," he said. "It's crazy that it's still there." Councillor Ben McNulty had responded to social media discussion about the car online, and said he had sent a "please explain" request to council staff earlier on Tuesday morning. Photo: RNZ / Jazlyn Whales He said it was clear they were aware of the car, as there was a yellow sticker on the windscreen. Usually, they waited a period of 48 hours for the owner to make contact, and then towed the vehicle. "It's just a billboard for council looking like it hasn't done it's job, because it hasn't on this one," he said. "You couldn't have put it in a much more prevalent spot in Wellington if you tried." But the council said as the car wasn't posing a safety risk - although its location had meant it had attracted a high amount of public interest - it had given the owner some extra leeway to remove it themselves. "It's obviously become clear that the owner isn't willing or able to do the job so we'll do it and aim to recover costs."
RNZ News
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- RNZ News
Wellington Council cops as after damaged car sits in carpark for week
Photo: Supplied / Jazlyn Whales An abandoned car, which has sat damaged across multiple car parks on a busy Wellington street for more than a week, is due to be towed Tuesday. The silver sedan has broken windows, no plates and a piece of police tape wrapped around it, and is parked diagonally across two spaces by Waitangi Park on the corner of Oriental Parade and Herd Street. The police said, as the car wasn't blocking a roadway or posing a risk to the public, it was not their jurisdiction to tow it, but the Wellington City Council's. The council told RNZ on Tuesday as it wasn't a traffic safety hazard, it had been giving the owner of the vehicle time to organise its removal - but it had become clear that wasn't going to happen. The plan was to tow it and put it into storage that day. Local resident Jose Ubiaga said he had first seen the car a week ago, and he walked past it each morning. "I just assumed it would be there for a couple of days, not thinking a week later it would still be sitting there, damaged, taking up two parks, and looking like an eye-sore," he said. His post on social media had garnered a lot of angry comments from other Wellingtonians. He said it wasn't a good look. "It's little things like this that degrade our city, and don't help us at all," he said. "It's crazy that it's still there." Councillor Ben McNulty had responded to social media discussion about the car online, and said he had sent a "please explain" request to council staff earlier on Tuesday morning. Photo: Supplied / Jazlyn Whales He said it was clear they were aware of the car, as there was a yellow sticker on the windscreen. Usually, they waited a period of 48 hours for the owner to make contact, and then towed the vehicle. "It's just a billboard for council looking like it hasn't done it's job, because it hasn't on this one," he said. "You couldn't have put it in a much more prevalent spot in Wellington if you tried." But the council said as the car wasn't posing a safety risk - although its location had meant it had attracted a high amount of public interest - it had given the owner some extra leeway to remove it themselves. "It's obviously become clear that the owner isn't willing or able to do the job so we'll do it and aim to recover costs."
RNZ News
09-05-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Wellingtonians warned of heavy weekend traffic
Winter sport and roadworks are causing lengthy delays. Photo: 123RF Wellingtonians are being warned weekend traffic will continue to be heavy as winter sport and roadworks cause lengthy delays. Traffic through the central city and along Oriental Parade was moving at snail's pace last Saturday. It was the first time in days the capital had seen the sun after being battered by wild weather . "I think everyone agrees the traffic through the central city on Saturday was bad," Wellington City Council spokesperson Richard MacLean said. Sports games and works on Wakefield Street, where Wellington Water is building new wastewater pipes, were likely to blame - and the Hurricanes match at Sky Stadium may have added to early evening traffic, he said. The Wakefield Street works are part of renewing and upgrading the city's wastewater network, and are expected to be completed in August. A Wellington Water spokesperson said in the next two weeks it planned to open more lanes in Wakefield Street, as well as the slip lane from Oriental Parade. Part of the road near Tory Street would be fully opened on Saturday if conditions allowed. "As the works are on one of the busiest roads in Wellington CBD, we know this has been disruptive and frustrating to road users, businesses and residents in the area. Our contractors are working as quickly as possible to progress the works and making every effort to minimise disruptions." In the meantime, MacLean said people should expect delays and plan ahead. "We strongly advise motorists to start their trips earlier if they're heading across town (especially to the airport) during the middle of the day - and try to avoid Evans Bay Parade and Oriental Parade if they're heading into town from the eastern suburbs." "Team members / parents could think about doing more car sharing to reduce the overall traffic volumes and the fight for parking at the sports venues." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
08-05-2025
- RNZ News
Group questioned over smashed up car in central Wellington
The smashed up sedan by Waitangi Park in central Wellington has been there for at least 36 hours. Photo: Supplied Police are investigating whether a group of people questioned about a smashed up car in central Wellington, know the vehicle's owner. A silver sedan with broken windows, no plates, and wrapped in police tape has been at Waitangi Park on the corner of Oriental Parade and Herd Street for at least 36 hours. Police did not address questions from RNZ about whether they were concerned for the car's owner, but confirmed they knew who that person was. A police spokesperson said they were called about a group of people "acting suspiciously around a vehicle on Oriental Parade" around 4am on Wednesday. Photo: RNZ / Nick James "Police attended and spoke to the parties involved. "We are exploring the possibility that the group of people may know the owner of the vehicle." The spokesperson said there were no reports of injuries and that police do not believe the car had been involved in anything suspicious. The car was due to be towed, police said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
