Council uses vacant lots worth $3.5m as staff car parking

Horizons Regional Council decided to use three vacant lots in Palmerston North, New Zealand, worth a combined $3.5 million, as staff car parking. The council reported spending about $30,000 to lay metal on a 2,218 sqm site and bring it to “car park standard” after it paused building plans for the lots in late 2025. At a Tuesday meeting, chief executive Michael McCartney said ongoing local government reforms and uncertainty over future governance meant the council would not proceed with the original development. He added that the Victoria Ave and Grey St sites would remain parking for the foreseeable future and could potentially be sold later. The land holdings were purchased by MWRC Holdings Limited on behalf of Horizons in 2021 and 2023. The decision follows a plan to demolish Regional House after 2024 seismic testing identified earthquake-prone parts, while parking pressure had grown along Victoria Ave.