Council approaches to developing the Tauranga city centre and attracting people there is an issue highlighted by recent improvements to car park policing in the Tauranga CBD.
The council has installed electronic devices on the car parks that signal wardens when a meter expires and the occupying vehicle is still parked there.

This is the second article in the SunLive series which is providing Tauranga City Council candidates the opportunity to directly and succinctly state their views on some of the city's major issues. Below the article are links to the candidate responses categorised by the constituency they are contesting.

From the point of view of CBD business owners who have struggled through recession, the council is chasing away their customers just as they are beginning to spend again.
A further issue was the council's handling of road works on Willow Street and their negative impact on businesses located in Willow Street and on The Strand.
The council is also reviewing the planning rules regarding building heights in the city centre, with an aim of preserving Tauranga CBD as the city's centre.
Tauranga's geography, which is a series of isthmuses, means CBD development is constrained by lack of space, transport difficulties and parking issues; let alone the planning rules.
Instead of spending money downtown, developers have for about the last decade spent their money building large suburban shopping precincts like those at Chapel Street, Fraser Cove, Gate Pa, Bayfair and Papamoa. They generally include a large attractor like a supermarket, a range of specialty shops – and free parking.
People are voting for shops with their feet and spending money in the suburban precincts instead of going downtown.

Mayor

Mark Groos
Do
• Support the City Centre Strategy
• Work with Mainstreet to deliver the retail and commercial priorities.
• Use the strengths of downtown Tauranga: weather, harbour, central, business expertise.
• Learn the lessons from other successful city centres: parking, covered shopping, location of large retail chain shops, pedestrian malls.
• Encourage more affordable events in the city centre (performers, farmers market, etc)
Do not
• Open multiple retail precincts across Tauranga then expect your city centre to remain vibrant.
• Build a transport centre in the middle of town.
• Unfairly target rates and charges at the city centre businesses.
• Consistently ignore city centre businesses advice / opinion.

John Robson
Councillors consent (and subsidise) competition for the CBD, then further handicap the CBD with regulation, rates, and poor planning decisions – and, yet, are surprised the CBD is dying. Yet more evidence of the councillors' inability to do joined-up thinking.
While museums, art galleries, open spaces, etc. have a role to play, they have never, in the history of cities, been the foundations of a vibrant CBD. A vibrant city centre needs a vibrant retail heart – which in turn needs customers. How do we get the customers? There's no better place to start than ‘free' parking!

Bill Faulkner
The electronic devices were installed without elected member knowledge and are ‘experimental'. No tickets are being issued. Parking availability downtown is lagging behind like other core infrastructure. Unless rates money is used then the only funding for parking amenity is that generated from parking fees. CBD redevelopment and maintenance will always inconvenience retailers which is most unfortunate. Lessons learned from this will be applied to future contracts. Many delays are due to historic places which require works to stop if anything historic is found, which creates major problems for contractors. The CBD will always be the city centre... for its unique boutique shopping, restaurants, library and civic administration.

Stuart Crosby
I support the City Centre Project initiatives that will foster redevelopment with more relaxed planning rules; this will bring in more people more often to the CBD. I support the development of larger student learning centre in the CBD as proposed. The current promotion of the city centre is inadequate and needs a boost by being more creative utilising the points of difference the CBD and waterfront has. Construction either by council or the private sector should be arranged to create the least disruption to trading.
I support better utilisation of existing parking.

Hori Leaming
Exactly. A very good article and I'm one of those people that keep the hell out of town. The council over the years has made it very difficult for investors to set up in town. ie supermarket in Elizabeth Street, Novatel in Durham Street to name but two. Do these suburban shopping precincts need parking wardens – no, they provide cheap, actually free parking for all the shop owners, staff and their customers, so everyone relaxes and SPENDS. Ah simple really.

Mount Maunganui-Papamoa Ward

David Stewart
We must ensure an exciting and vibrant Tauranga CBD that is recognised as the commercial heart and soul of our region. When visitors arrive in our city, this is where they should be able to get a feel for what Tauranga is all about. Our council needs to continue working with businesses and retailers, particularly during these hard economic times to ensure they survive. It is timely to review council's parking strategy particularly in regard to fees and charges and test its relevance to today's economic reality. It may well be that with the lack of cars visiting our downtown, fees and charges could be relaxed or withdrawn.

Steve Morris
Parking sensors and the perception they create were not a bright idea, but they are not there for enforcement, just for planning purposes. They could be converted for enforcement – something I would definitely not support. The media beat-up in this case is adding to the unnecessary pain felt by our CBD retailers. Council should remove the devices to restore public faith.
I would only support The Strand redevelopment if it passes the test of affordability, ratepayers need a break after the 32 per cent rate rises. Council can't remove a substantial number of car parks without a new parking building either!

Wayne Moultrie
Council did not approve the installation of electronic devices on car parks to signal wardens when meters expire. The devices were installed to monitor turnover in parking spaces with a view to making adjustments for the benefit of business owners.
Road works had an impact on some, but not all businesses in Willow Street and The Strand. Every effort was made to reduce the impact on those affected.
Suburban malls flourish because of one stop shopping and free parking. One of the major attractors to bring shoppers back to the CBD will be the waterfront redevelopment.

Otumoetai-Pyes Pa Ward

Catherine Stewart
TCC policies extol the virtues of having a vibrant CBD and then put a transportation centre in the middle of our city!
Our narrow cobbled-stoned streets are not conducive to large, moving buses.
I did not support the Transportation Centre in Willow/Wharf Sts as a bus centre could go anywhere with regular shuttles into the CBD.
People need to come first and consultation is paramount.
An understanding of retailers point of view is essential and minimising any road works with seven day a week, 24 hour shifts would have gone a long way to reducing the frustration and inconvenience caused to the retailers and their customers.

Andrew Cass
As part of the city centre strategy committee, chairman of Mainstreet and from active participation in the planning and strategy policy, I know the answers lie in the adopted policy for the city centre. A key issue is funding of course, however, many key early actions have not been implemented and the committee's recommendations carry little or no weight with current councillors. I will actively pursue implementation of adopted strategy as soon as practicable and try to raise investment in the city centre. A strong city centre is vital to the regions future and should be a major priority for council.

Mike Mills
People need reasons to come into the CBD to do business, access services, study; to visit and explore; for specialty shopping, dining, socialising and entertainment; and for special events and venues: the kinds of things that are not provided in the suburban shopping centres.
I support Priority One, council and partners in developing the city centre strategy to guide the future of the CBD, with a high quality built environment and public amenities.
I will promote the CBD waterfront development as a matter of urgency, and work with retailers and other parties to resolve parking, transportation and community safety issues.

Mike Baker
A strong and viable CBD is essential to a city and Tauranga is certainly no exception.
A major hotel development, including conference facilities, would be a huge benefit to the inner city as would extended tertiary facilities in the heart of the city, both of which are hopefully on the horizon.
In respect to parking meters, we must look at ways of making these more acceptable to the shoppers by looking at extending parking times and accessibility. However, the financial cost associated with this should not be fully passed on to ratepayers in general.

Nigel Stichbury
We need to analyse the core reasons restricting the CBD from being the vibrant heart of our city. Currently no real unique attractions exist to encourage people to the centre.
The Strand development needs completion as a matter of urgency to provide other avenues to attract people downtown. It is through people attendance that will create the base for economic development in the CBD by in turn attracting investment.
Hard decisions are needed to meet access and parking requirements in coordination with the strand development, not after.
Do parking meters warrant their existence when the real value is the attraction of people and investment?

Jane Lyndon
We need to stop the rot! The city needs a heart!
Council needs to review the whole CBD strategy including parking.
Need to build third parking building, one building open to 10pm
Facilitate new 120 bed quality hotel. Cut red tape!
Clear waterfront of cars, make it people/family friendly and enable events and festivals to take place.
Shop owners revise trading hours – work together and lift game with better service and enthusiasm.
A future proper transportation centre. Willow Street too narrow. Expanded University campus with underground parking.
A community driven/built/run museum on Cliff Road with provision to house/display priceless Elms textile collection.

Graham Skellern
Increased attractions – re-developed waterfront, historical walk, privately-funded museum, art gallery, will bring more visitors to city centre and in turn benefit retailers.
I understand a big retail/office development is being planned for northern end with increased parking, replacing existing carparks. Waterfront development involving private investment should include activities, as well as walking, picnicking and events areas. Some bars/restaurants could move across the railway line, taking up a section of the waterfront and the space filled with boutique shops. Downtown parking needs to be freed up – one hour charges are too high and doesn't give shoppers enough time to do their bit. Take it out to two hours and make parking free at the weekend.

Larry Baldock
The new parking devices trialled at the expense of the CBD retailers should be removed. A CBD, Central Business District, needs shoppers and eaters to survive but also workers. Council planning that has allowed businesses to sprawl through the residential areas away from the CBD and has undermined a strong CBD. We need a combination of business and residential development closer to CBD. A top quality large inner city hotel is desperately needed with conference space to attract major conferences to the city. A public/private/partnership is the best approach for the development of a spectacular waterfront (including dealing with the trains.)

Te Papa-Welcome Bay Ward

Rob Davies
Our CBD needs CPR. Councillors have divorced themselves from what should be the heart of our city. We need to breathe life into the central business district by encouraging residential intensification along its edges, supporting a university presence, and recognising a vibrant CBD will rely on diversity: diversity of form, diversity of space and diversity of enterprise.
We also need to make the CBD accessible and provide real choice to people: get there by ferry, car or bus. Our council lacks the political will to change our CBD. That's why we need to change our council.

Bill Grainger
Tauranga desperately needs a spark to make it a vibrant city centre. My personal opinion leads to enticing investors by making it viable for them to invest and develop a larger three/four storey type mall with free underground parking. Perhaps the block between Red Square, Elizabeth Street, Devonport Road and Willow Street. Combine commercial with retail and blend this with open green areas on Willow Street and close it off to traffic. Have a suitable connection to our restaurants and waterfront areas on The Strand.
People are attracted to the convenience of a one stop shopping centre...obvious at Bayfair.

Michael Morris
Private shopping malls kill community. Public spaces, like Cuba Street in Wellington, liven up the city with street theatre, street art, posters and displays. Planning policy should encourage more public space.
Regarding car parking, we need to rethink the mindset that moving people requires moving an unsustainable tonne of metal with them. New businesses should not need carparking to get consent. Instead, they can pay a levy toward public transport, which will be cheaper for the business. This will relieve congestion and encourage sustainable business. It will fund a better bus system, to attract more people into the CBD.

Jeanette Arnold
Parking fines are for controlling excessive parking hogs, not for generating extra revenue.
I hope we can look after the central city better in future. Is there a need for more shopping malls dotted around our suburban areas and ought council try to influence this free market competition? Whilst the free parking is free for many shoppers, it obviously takes customers away from the original central precinct. Personally – I am not convinced a big spend up beautifying the Tauranga waterfront (again) is going to bring more people back into the central city. I'm certain the city Mainstreet manager can inform me as to their preferred courses of action.

Lloyd Davies
Tauranga CBD, unlike the Mount and Greerton CBDs, is fast losing its relevance. The role of the Mainstreet organisations needs to be more marketing focused, street parking in the Tauranga CBD should remain time limited, but free with the first two hours free in parking buildings. These initiatives, together with the creation of a linked cultural hub including Baycourt, Library, Art Gallery, the proposed Museum in Cliff Road and development of Artsville in Elizabeth Street, should return the city centre to a vibrant destination. In addition, the bus terminal location should be reconsidered with bus timetables also extended until at least 11pm.

At Large

Allan Andrews
I feel the installation of electronic devices on the car parks is an acceptable use of new technology we should be looking for a reduction in parking fees now the cost of monitoring is reduced. In regards to Willow Street works and the financial damage it caused to local business why can one shop almost anywhere seven days, some cases 24hrs, go to a rugby game and lay asphalt at night but council managed road works in the CBD takes so long.
Finally we need to encourage inner city re-growth to re-vitalize the CBD; the administrative heart and soul of our city.

David Love
Every city worth its name has a heart and a soul to provide a natural centre of activity. A vibrant centre will attract inward investment, jobs and people to the area and provide the custom for quality shops and entertainment. We need a centre for pedestrian recreation, entertainment, the arts in all aspects, events, concerts and festivals. The Strand development is a start but we need a car parking policy that aids pedestrian access to the CBD rather than revenue collection as the primary objective. We need to attract more conferences and need another major hotel as another conference business centre.

Tony Christiansen
The TCC policy of discouraging vehicles into the CBD is based on ideology that is not practically supported by most people. Most citizens wish to enjoy the convenience of their private vehicle and so choose convenient free parking at satellite shopping centres.
The recent decision regarding the downtown bus stop, the waterfront plan without parking and the continued discouragement of visitors by punitive metering has virtually destroyed the traditional heart of Tauranga. Prudent businesses are moving to the suburbs.
Council must accept the reality of shoppers' preferences and stop wasting ratepayer funds on propping up an area that few people wish to visit.

Brendan Horan
I agree with the CBD business owners and will do my best to help them. We must improve accessibility to attract residents and tourists to the CBD. Free timed parking and extra parking would be a start, but we also need better lines of communication, lower compliance costs and become more event and festival friendly. I believe we should encourage interactive and boutique shopping. Our main attractor is the waterfront and stunning views, so let's continue beautification, along with harbour boardwalk and cycle way, and all the fun and interactive activities that go with a magnificent harbour and aquatic playground.

Richard Moore
Using Willow Street as the bus terminus was ill considered. It caused businesses to close and fended off opposition with dubious figures.
There should be limited free parking for CBD shoppers. The seafront needs a revamp but firstly car parks must be replaced – as council agreed to do.
We want more CBD entertainment to attract families. Visitors love our city's boutique shops, we should be supporting them, not killing them.
To attract big businesses we must optimise space within the CBD. Office tower blocks are a good option.
Let's keep improving public transport to relieve pressure on parking for workers.

Joye Adams
I look forward to seeing the parking wardens racing to be the first to write a ticket when the little thingy pings them! No not really!
I would have thought that Tauranga and its environs were just about shopped out. Maybe it is time to put a stop to strip shopping and bring everything back into shopping nodes. But then, that's what is happening isn't it.
I'm sorry, I'm just about questionnered out!

Ben Tuck
As a current Willow Street retailer at Broncos Sports, the parking meters have a negative affect on shoppers. To be on a level playing field either all of Tauranga district has meters, or none at all.
If meters are a must, the first hour FREE.
Handling of the roadworks in Willow Street was irresponsible by the council. There should have been two shifts seven days a week to get the project finished faster.
It should have taken only 5-6 weeks instead of the 10-11 weeks.
The council now deciding to rejuvenate downtown is great, but the horse has bolted, it is going to take some time to get business back.

Tony Young
Tauranga needs a vibrant and inviting city centre. In order to achieve this, the council must work with all agencies with the goal of ensuring locals continue to come into the city for their shopping needs and to lure tourists and out of town visitors. This could be done in several ways such as free first hour free parking. Bring back buskers on the weekends and have carnival days. Key to this is economical development, an increased tertiary sector and attracting big business and corporates, stop the sprawl of businesses into the suburbs. Downtown Tauranga needs to be the place of choice for shoppers.

Rick Curach
Some cities overseas have dumped parking meters in favour of downtown businesses funding the parking wardens, instead of the shoppers. Think about it – would Bayfair expect its customer to pay for parking? I think not.
In most larger cities around the world, CBDs have been evolving from retail hubs into living and leisure destinations. In Tauranga, this shift will continue as satellite centres and supporting populations grow. The convenience of shopping locally or online, plus increasing travel costs will further accelerate this trend.
Technology will also continue to impact on the CBD as administrative and financial services, which previously required significant staff and office space, will largely be performed online.

Sue Hawkins
I will listen and engage with relevant stakeholders with regard to current and future initiatives. Social, environmental and cultural issues also need to be considered when identifying and prioritising projects. The waterfront plans needs to be progressed so that our city centre attracts all age groups. Lets get the ferry running between Tauranga and Mount Maunganui again and re-build the Mt Drury Soundshell – wow, what a location. We need a vision that appeals to a wide cross-section of the community. Perhaps Tauranga could become a ‘festival' city! Planning needs to become doing and we need a slogan – urgently.

Bonnie Leonard
The trend everywhere in the world is for the ease and convenience of suburban shopping, and I don't think that will change.
Tauranga is a city of insular peninsulas which geographically poses problems for a central site, the harbour is the link, clear and beautify the three main access routes, leading to the waterfront. With unobstructed water views, grassy areas and piers into the harbour for markets, boutiques and restaurants; a central point for taxis, ferries, buses and train. Parking should be removed from the frontage into a rear area building. San Francisco does this waterfront scene very well.

Jonnie Mead
The punitive measures that alert traffic wardens to a car space that has an expired meter but a car still in place is anti business, autocratic and antisocial. There is a simple method of re-enlivening the CBD – and that is amongst other measures, to organise free public transport into town. In fact I am told that Dunedin has completely free public transport which moves good volumes of people, reduces emissions, and solves the need for new parking spaces. The establishment of our own university in Tauranga located in the downtown area would enliven the CBD thus supporting retailers. Perhaps graduates would consider returning to Tauranga to work and complete post-grads and masters.

Anne Pankhurst
The CBD is a critical part to the region. Its development, its continued growth and importance must be protected. The cost of parking has become an issue about the CBD and how malls are so called free, but as it is said there is no free lunch. The retailers in malls certainly pay for the parking, the question I would ask is who pays for the parking in our CBD; you the ratepayer, the retailer (and ultimately the shopper), or do we use the fair system of user payers. I know which one I prefer.

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