5 June 2015

Rotorua mayor seeks powers to address illegal windscreen washers

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick wants changes made to the Local Government Act so councils have the power to deal with illegal windscreen washers.

Mrs Chadwick raised the issue at a Local Government New Zealand rural and provincial sector meeting in Wellington today [5 June 2015].

“Many people feel intimidated or even frightened when approached by some of these window washers, and there’s often a public safety issue too as they dart in and out of traffic at busy intersections.

“It’s a growing problem in many cities around New Zealand. As a popular tourist destination, Rotorua certainly needs the tools to deal with illegal windscreen washers before the issue gets out of hand and impacts on our reputation as a safe and friendly visitor destination.”

The Rotorua mayor is asking Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) to support a change to the Local Government Act and traffic regulations to allow infringement notices to be served and offenders fined.

"Currently the only mechanism we have available to deal with the problem is to ask police to lay charges and then take them through the courts. This is a lengthy and costly process, and a waste of police, Council’s and the court’s time.

“We have what is effectively an unenforceable law that somehow needs to be given teeth.”

Mrs Chadwick said some small business owners from Rotorua’s Brookland Road area had raised their concerns with her recently, although it was not a new problem. She was pleased to champion the issue for her community and hoped other council leaders would join forces with Rotorua and support changes to legislation.

She said it was important for councils to not only focus on the big things that make a difference but to also address the smaller issues and do the “right thing” for their communities.

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