Criticisms have arisen from cruise ship tour operators two weeks out from the start of the 2014/2015 cruise ship season over the introduction of operator fees and changes to parking regulations.

Tauranga Cruise Tourism Operators Association Incorporated chairman Simon Beaton told Tauranga City Council on Monday operators were ignored in the consultation process and that Tourism Bay of Plenty is creating a monopoly.

The first cruise ship of the 2014/2015 season arrives at the Port of Tauranga on October 4.

The changes involve the creation of a designated passenger vehicle stand for tourist vehicleswithin Salisbury Wharf Car Park and some parking spaces located on The Mall and Salisbury Avenue.

The stand includes 30 car parks within Salisbury Wharf Car Park and 17 car parks in the immediate vicinity and will operate between 6am-11am on scheduled cruise ship days between September 20 and May 31.

Tourist vehicle operators will be required to have a permit to use the passenger vehicle stand during the cruise ship season and the new system will be monitored by Council's parking team.

Operators must also pay a 15 per cent commission to Tourism Bay of Plenty to pick up passengers around the port gates.

This will effectively stop operators from plugging business and receiving cash from passengers outside the port gates – an act outside bylaws controlling trading on streets.

Simon says TCC-funded Tourism BOP is creating a monopoly on passenger business and that operators are being charged for services they don't receive.

Firstly Simon says the new parking regulations are unworkable, and make no provisions for stretch limousines. They force buses to use angle parking on the south side of Salisbury Avenue, and make no provision for 49-seat buses.

He says there's nowhere for rental car shuttles to pick up passengers and no accommodation for the 10-16 passenger service vehicles which use to use the wharf to pick up passengers booking ahead via the internet.

The operators currently work mostly outside the Port of Tauranga, using the Mount Ocean Sports Club carpark and parks in Salisbury Avenue from where they pick up their passengers.

Secondly, Simon says the 15 per cent commission is TCC breaching the Local Government Act's consultation requirements and Tourism BOP breaching the Commerce Act.

'Local councils are obliged to consult widely, our belief is that the council failed to consult widely enough,” says Simon.

TCC consulted with the New Zealand Transport Agency, New Zealand Police, Tourism BOP, the MOSC and local residents, but not the association or any of its 25 members.

The association includes small and large operators, including Bayline Buses and Bethlehem Coachlines, says Simon, and they cater for an estimated 20 per cent of all cruise ship passengers arriving at the port.

They have been operating out of the Mosc carpark for three seasons.

'The consultation refers to safety management,” says Simon. 'Our organisation does more to manage safety than anybody else. Nobody asked for our ideas and concerns. Why Not?”

Simon says operators are concerned the consultation process was flawed and 'potentially illegal”. 'There are major unresolved parking issues and genuine problems created by the proposed amendments as they stand, and there are safety issues that do not seem to have been fully thought through.

'We're very concerned that Tourism BOP are going to use this legislation to impose ‘What ifs?' effectively a monopoly control of the passengers' tours and use their powers to impose a high commission in lieu of a reasonable fee.”

With more, and larger, ships coming to Tauranga this season, Simon asks how TCC intends to handle the increased car parking and inherent safety issues.

'If Tourism BOP's I-Port ceased to exist what would be the consequences? The ships would still come, the passengers would still want tours and we would provide them as we have done at least since 1999,” says Simon.

He suggests operators could pay a traffic management fee to Council on the day.

Tourism BOP chief executive Rhys Arrowsmith says the I-Port currently charges 10 per cent commission, which returns 52 per cent of its costs.

Raising the commission on sales of 15 per cent will see the I-Port recover 68 per cent of its costs.

The first cruise ship of the season arrives at the Port of Tauranga on October 4.

In response to the points Simon raised, council staff are organising a meeting with TCTOA Inc, Tourism BOP, and TCC on Thursday this week.