Hutt City Council introduced the latest licence plate recognition technology on 1 October 2024, to improve fair access to parking across Lower Hutt.
The Aero Ranger camera kit is attached to the windows of one of Hutt City Council’s four parking enforcement vehicles for a six-month trial.
The technology will make parking enforcement more efficient and much fairer for those who do the right thing by paying for parking where required and not overstaying time-limited spaces.
The technology will also be able to map parking occupancy and demand, which will support the future development of parking management plans in local areas.
The camera records information about vehicles and visible parking signage as it drives around, then on its return can register whether a car should have moved or whether it has paid for the parking. The information is sent back to Council and a staff member will review it before sending a ticket by mail.
The technology can also check that Warrants of Fitness and car registrations are current and identify vehicles that have been registered as stolen.
Budget for the technology was approved as part of Council’s 2024 Long-term Plan.
Licence place recognition vehicles are already operating in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Wellington.
The car cameras will operate within the requirements of the Privacy Act and faces will be blurred in any images shared with drivers who request details of the infringement. Council will use images only for evidence gathering, enforcement and for collecting data about demand for parking spaces.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Improved efficiency through embracing modern technology
- Improved Health and Safety for Council officers
- Cost effectiveness
Parking Services Privacy Statement
We collect personal information from you, including:
· Photographs of your parked vehicle.
· The license plates of your parked vehicles.
· The location of your vehicle when it’s parked in the Hutt City District.
· Vehicle registration details from the New Zealand Transport Agency database.
· Payment information for infringements.
We collect your personal information in order to:
· Monitor and enforce parking restrictions.
· Gather data on parking occupancy rates, for:
- the development of Parking Management Plans and Policy decisions
- the purposes of city planning
· Enable you to pay for parking infringements.
The information and data is collected under the following legislation:
· Land Transport (Offences and Penalties) Regulations 1999
· Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004
· Land Transport Rule: Tyres and Wheels 2001
· Resource Management Act 1991
Besides our staff, we share this information with:
· Our enforcement software solution provider in order to generate infringement fines.
When submitting payment via Credit Card, you will need to provide further information to Windcave to complete your payment. You can read Windcave’s privacy statement here
Information you provide to us is kept securely in Hutt City Council’s information systems and with our enforcement solution provider, as appropriate. This information is only accessed by authorised staff.
You have the right to ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of your information, or to have it corrected, please contact informationrequests@huttcity.govt.nz
The LPR technology uses AI to assess the information that the camera picks up and generate “potential” breaches for enforcement. This AI tool is about 95% accurate and all potential breaches are checked by a human before a ticket is issued.
You have the right to appeal any ticket you receive and view the associated evidence.
Parking evidence is legally required to be stored for a minimum of 1 year. All the storage and security information can be found here.
AI will assess the information that the camera picks up and generate “potential” breaches for enforcement. These “potential” breaches will then be reviewed by an officer, to ensure accuracy, before a ticket is generated and mailed to the vehicle owner.
Aero Ranger is an Australian company. The cameras do not record videos. The images will only be accessible to Hutt City Council's Parking Services staff.
Yes, by being more efficient in the way wardens cover a large area. Revenue funds roading maintenance and development.
No. The decision to embrace this technology was partially driven by the LTP decision to expand paid parking to seven days a week and the decision to expand paid parking into Petone. This has placed extra expectations on the already limited number of wardens. The intention is that the LPR technology will assist the current staff to meet these new expectations.
The camera captures photographic information about vehicles and visible parking signage as it drives around, then on its return it can register whether a car should have moved. The information is sent back to Council and a staff member will review it before sending a ticket by mail.
The LPR technology will also be able to determine which vehicles have paid for their park and which haven’t. The technology can also access the NZTA database to determine which cars have up to date WOFs and REGOs, and it can also identify vehicles which have been registered as stolen.