A roving parking camera is out and about in Te Puke and Katikati this week for training, before ticketing starts on Monday, December 15.

The use of licence-plate recognition (LPR) camera technology was approved as part of Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s 2025-26 annual plan.

The decision follows a successful trial last year that tested the system’s effectiveness – although no tickets were issued during the trial.

The introduction of the camera aimed to support local businesses and deter unsafe parking, district council compliance and monitoring manager Dougal Elvin said.

“Increasing the turnover of car parks in our town centres makes it easier for people to find a spot, so they can support local shops and businesses. We want to make sure our town centres are accessible and convenient, so people can pop in, do their shopping and keep the community vibrant.”

The high-resolution, car-mounted camera will capture number plates and GPS locations of parked cars, to identify those that have parked for longer than the designated time or are parked illegally, for example, on yellow lines.

It will be operated by a fulltime parking and bylaws officer who will also be monitoring vehicle registrations, warrants of fitness and accessible parking spaces.

“Parking officers often face verbal abuse and threatening behaviour while doing their job. The LPR system will help keep our officer safe by enabling them to do the majority of their work from a vehicle,” Elvin said.

The mobile camera will be used mostly in Te Puke and Katikati, where there are time restrictions on parking that range from five minutes to four hours.

It will also have a presence in Waihī Beach over summer, to encourage people to park responsibly during the peak holiday season.

The council is also using its CCTV cameras to monitor parking in Te Puke, Katikati and Ōmokoroa.

“This became possible when we changed contractors for our CCTV monitoring and we are making use of this technology to make parking safer and more accessible for everyone,” Elvin said.

“Our goal overall is to make parking work better for the whole community.”

- Supplied content