FNDC WoF and Rego ticketing hotly debated

Unwarranted and unregistered parked vehicles will no longer be ticketed by Far North District Council parking wardens following a decision yesterday to discontinue a trial of the enforcement measure.

The proposal to make the ticketing of parked unwarranted and unregistered vehicles a permanent measure was hotly debated by councillors during their meeting yesterday (24 August).

The council began ticketing parked vehicles for not displaying a current Warrant of Fitness (WoF) or Vehicle Registration during a trial that began on 1 July 2021. The aim was to improve the safety of Far North vehicles in line with the government’s national Road to Zero strategy. Displaying a current WoF and registration indicates that a vehicle meets minimum safety standards. Waka Kotahi says that ensuring vehicles are safe helps to protect occupants in the event of a road crash and can also prevent some crashes. In 2022, 42 per cent of vehicle crashes in the Far North District involved a vehicle that did not have a current warrant or certificate of fitness. That compares to 26 per cent in Whangarei and 9 per cent in Kaipara.

The trial initially targeted vehicles that had been unwarranted for six months or more. That was later expanded to include vehicles unwarranted or unregistered for two months. All ticketed vehicle owners were given 56 days to get vehicles street legal and fines were waived for those who could prove they had obtained a new warrant or registration.

From 1 December 2021 to 30 June 2022, parking wardens issued 121 infringement notices for vehicles that had been unwarranted for six months or more. Between 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 a total of 576 infringements were issued. Of those, 328 were for an expired WoF and 248 for unregistered vehicles. Most infringements were issued in Kerikeri.

Following the debate yesterday, the proposal to make ticketing of parked unwarranted and unregistered vehicles a permanent measure was lost by six votes to five. Most councillors supported the safety goals of the trial, with Councillor Ann Court describing her own experience of being involved in a serious road accident and the costs that road accidents impose on communities. However, others said there was a lack of support available to help owners ensure vehicles are road legal and were concerned that the extra financial burden imposed by ticketing would unfairly penalise those already struggling to meet commitments and to find employment.

You can view a recording of the discussion and the entire meeting on the FNDC YouTube channel or Facebook page.