Anger is being expressed by businesses at Queenstown\u2019s Remarkables Park facing a squeeze on staff parking.<\/p>\n
Shopping centre management\u2019s told tenants 115 unsealed parks on the Hawthorne Dr\/Cherry Blossom Ave corner will no longer be available for staff parking \u2014 instead, they\u2019ll be leased out to businesses, from April 1, for $1300 plus GST per year.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He says \u2018\u2018we\u2019ve been having about eight staff carparks for the last five years\u2019\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018A reason why we can manage to get staff here and actually keep them is because they can get free carparks, and it\u2019s nice and easy to get to work.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018When we pay exorbitant rent as it is, free carparking should be available.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
He suggests staff who can\u2019t find parks \u2018\u2018are just gonna fill the streets up, which is gonna to be a nightmare\u2019\u2019.<\/p>\n
Specsavers Optometrists retail director Leigh Jackson says he was told there were only 61 parks for 61 tenants.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s got 13 staff on his books and seven in-store daily.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018I\u2019m waiting to see whether my staff have issues and end up complaining or end up looking for other jobs because they can\u2019t park freely where they need to.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018My 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.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Jackson says centre management \u2018\u2018want us to purchase a lease to come and operate and provide business and services to people to draw them to their centre, and you\u2019re not going to allow us to park anywhere\u2019\u2019. He thinks there\u2019ll be a few tenants who\u2019ll think twice about renewing their leases.<\/p>\n
Asked to respond, centre manager Nick Lambert says \u2018\u2018the owners have asked me not to comment, and they won\u2019t be commenting either\u2019\u2019.<\/p>\n