Major increase in mobility parking abuse fine a win for 170,000 Kiwis

Media release
29 August 2024

CCS Disability Action welcomes today’s announcement by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston of a significant increase in fines for people who abuse mobility car parks. The fee will increase from $150 to $750 from 1 October 2024.

CCS Disability Action administers the Mobility Parking scheme, improving access for 170,000 people across the country. The organisation has been lobbying for stricter penalties and cohesive enforcement across public and private spaces for many years.

The change will make a real difference for the scheme’s 170,000 users by making Kiwis think twice about whether abusing the scheme is worth the risk.

“Mobility parking abuse is rife in New Zealand. Research we commissioned showed that nearly one-third of users of mobility parking spaces do not have a permit to do so legally. This widespread abuse highlights a severe lack of understanding and respect for the importance of mobility parking. Today’s announcement changes that – hopefully people will think twice before taking a park they have no right to use,” explains BJ Clark ONZM QSM JP, National Manager Access and Infrastructure.

“This is very welcome news after a long campaign to improve mobility parking abuse,” says Raewyn Hailes, Regional Access Coordinator for CCS Disability Action’s Central region. “This commitment to permit holders will positively impact on their ability to live an everyday life in everyday places,  as citizens with opportunities for learning, employment, having a home and family, and social participation.”

This move brings New Zealand more in line with comparable countries like Australia, where on-the-spot fines can sit around $500 depending on the state.

Claire Dale, who submitted a petition to Parliament with measures aimed at reducing mobility parking abuse, sees the move as a win for disabled people. “I am delighted the Government have taken this vital step for the mobility impaired. This will make a huge difference in compliance. I look forward to standardisation as the supermarkets, shopping centres and other private properties come on board,” she says.

“People who use the Mobility Parking scheme deserve to be able to be part of our communities. We would love to see the revenue from mobility parking abuse be diverted into initiatives that improve local accessibility,” says BJ.

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For further information contact:

Lucy Green
National Manager Marketing Communications & Fundraising
CCS Disability Action
Phone: 027 434 9256
Email: Lucy.Green@ccsDisabilityAction.org.nz

CCS Disability Action background information

CCS Disability Action is the largest disability support and advocacy organisation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

We support people with all types of impairments and have been working alongside disabled people since 1935. We are at the forefront of service provision, advocacy and information sharing in the disability sector. We partner with disabled people, their families and whānau to remove barriers at an individual, community and national level. Our vision is to see every disabled person and whānau hauā interwoven into the lives of their whānau and community.

We provide direct support to around 5,000 children, young people, and adults through our 18 branches, which operate from Northland to Invercargill. Our support focuses on breaking down barriers.

CCS Disability Action is a leading advocate for inclusive education in New Zealand, working to ensure that disabled students have equal access to learning opportunities in their local education setting.

We also run New Zealand’s nationwide Mobility Parking Permit scheme. This scheme currently supports more than 160,000 people to access their communities and facilities more easily. Our subsidiaries, Lifemark and BarrierFree, advocate for and provides universal design consultancy to improve the accessibility of New Zealand’s housing and built environments.

We receive a mixture of government and charitable funding.

For more information, please visit: www.ccsDisabilityAction.org.nz