Parking warden remarks criticised

Public criticism of Invercargill's parking wardens by the city's mayor and deputy mayor was unacceptable because the wardens couldn't respond, the Public Service Association (PSA) said.

The PSA is a union for workers in the public service.

Chief executive Rex Askerud said the PSA would write to Invercargill City Council chief executive Richard King asking him to remind councillors if they had concerns about the way parking wardens were enforcing the council's parking regulations they should raise them with Mr King, and not publicly.

Mayor Tim Shadbolt said in a mayoral column last year that when it came to enforcing parking regulations the city council made the SS Panzer Divisions and Himmler's Gestapo look like a bunch of Girl Guides. He later apologised, saying the remark had been meant as pure satire.

Mr Askerud said it was offensive to compare the parking wardens with the Gestapo and SS Panzer Divisions.

Deputy Mayor Neil Boniface said at a council meeting this month his perception was the city's parking wardens had got more aggressive in issuing tickets and sending them out in the mail. The wardens should show some common sense and discretion, said Mr Boniface, who added he had received a parking ticket in the mail.

Mr Boniface said last night he had not criticised the wardens personally and he had raised his concerns with Mr King and a senior council staff member before the council meeting.

As a consequence of that meeting he had raised concerns of the policies and practices of the parking division at the council meeting.

"If councillors get complaints (from the public) it's legitimate to raise those complaints (in a council meeting)." Mr Boniface said he acknowledged the wardens did a difficult job in difficult circumstances.

Council's parking enforcement and mobility service manager Debbie McCallum, who defended the wardens at the meeting, last night declined to comment. Mr Shadbolt could not be reached for comment.

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