Invercargill parking wardens are working in pairs following an increase in bad behaviour after infringement fees went up.

The city council said there had been several abusive incidents in recent months, and pairing-up meant there was “immediate support”.

In October 2024, central government hiked fines nationwide by an average of 70 percent— something the council linked last month to a rise in push back.

Council manager consenting and environment Jonathan Shaw said bad behaviour normally occurred during compliance action or fine enforcement.

"While officers are professional and experienced in dealing with challenging situations as part of their role, the team has noticed a rising trend of negative behaviour in recent months, including several abusive incidents," Shaw said.

"In response to this, officers will sometimes work in pairs to ensure they have immediate support in the case of an incident."

Shaw said no one wanted to receive a ticket, but compliance was for the overall benefit of the community.

The government introduced sweeping changes to the country's parking fees in October 2024. Credit: Matthew Rosenberg/LDR.

.

Officers were able to use radios and phones when out in the field, and body cameras had been in action since 2020, he said.

Ticketing information provided by the council showed revenue had jumped up by 75 percent recently.

More than $1.14 million was collected from 16,504 infringements between October 2024 and June 2025.

This compared to more than $650,000 from 12,830 infringements for the same period a year before.

Over $671,000 was collected from 13,341 infringements during the October 2022 to June 2023 period.

The council did not ticket between February and June 2024 due to an issue with its bylaw.

As for fines, the government changes had bumped the minimum amount from $12 to $20 for overstaying.

Those who overstayed by more than six hours witnessed an increase from $57 to $97.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air