The debate over free parking in Tauranga CBD's is set to continue with Tauranga City Council opting to place a three-month trial period into its long term plan discussions.
The move suggests any approval of free parking will not come into effect until July 2015 at the earliest.
Photo: File.
Council knocked back Mainstreet Tauranga's idea of running a three-month trial consisting of a two-hour grace period on parking in the CBD back in July, calling for a more detailed look into the issue and a report put forward by the company.
Retailers have been urging the city council for years to at least trial free parking as a way of increasing foot traffic in a central business district.
Tauranga City Council communications advisor Marcel Currin confirms council has decided that rather than looking at free parking as a separate issue, it will incorporate it into the larger decision making process of the LTP.
'It will go through the long term plan, then a decision will be made with public consultation and then any new regime, if there is one, will kick in next July,” he explains.
'There isn't a magic report that allows them to install free parking over the holidays or anything like that.”
In July TCC were given eight days to look at a business case that contained no figures, and is set to cost the city $350,000-$400,000 in lost revenue across the three months.
The resolution failed partly because councillors don't think three months is long enough for a proper trial, comparing it with an 18-month parking trial undertaken in Rotorua.
A more detailed report was expected to be presented to council last month whereby, if approved, the three-month period would not grace the CBD streets until autumn or winter of next year.
The Tauranga trial is based on the ratepayer subsidised scheme in Rotorua which also offers the first two hours parking for free.
In the meantime council is offering a form of free parking in the CBD in the lead up to Christmas.
Every Saturday during December, parking, whether it is on-street, off-street and parking buildings, is free while all on-street parking will be free after 3pm during the week.
The free parking after 3pm also applies to the Phoenix Car Park at Mount Maunganui.
13 comments
It's
Posted on 11-12-2014 12:03 | By NZgirl
Simple if the council keep charging for parking in the CBD it will become a ghost town. Why pay to shop when you got Bayfair that's free and many others now
Free Parking
Posted on 11-12-2014 13:32 | By Aster
Talk about Nero fiddling while Rome burned.." By the time this Council makes up its mind, all the shoppers will have fled. Another pathetic disconnect between commerce and bureaucracy!
Rastus
Posted on 11-12-2014 14:09 | By rastus
Several years ago the then council called for submissions about the long term plan for the CBD - I did a presentation at that time showing that the CBD needed far more free parking provision but I suspect that since that time we have had too many woolly headed people in council who were labouring under the stupid assumption that everyone would listen to their 'Green' policies and not use cars to do their shopping etc with the result that if anything we have gone backwards as far as provision for vehicles is concerned. The car is, and will continue to be the major transportation method for most NZers into the foreseeable future and all the bleating about public transport will not change that situation - for goodness sake council - "wake up"--
What about loss of revenue to businesses?
Posted on 11-12-2014 14:14 | By The Sage
The Council are talking about the financial cost to them for 3 months. Take a look around and wake up, the CBD is fast becoming a ghost ship. That's what happens when you charge over the top for parking. If it's not parking tickets, people are being pinged for tyres, registration and WOF's. Why would you even come into the City?
free
Posted on 11-12-2014 14:16 | By rosscoo
Leave your car at home take the bus. It cheaper, less traffic hassles, no worries of people bumping your vehicle while your shopping,
Parking
Posted on 11-12-2014 14:28 | By terminator
It's not just that you have to pay to park its also that there are too few parks. Maybe a one way road system with diagonal parks would help. I think retailers there would be wise to offer specialist items not found in malls (or downtown the mount) e.g. NZ made only goods. Maybe demolish the whole street and start fresh (with a multi level mall with water views on one side and car park on the other).
Just do it
Posted on 11-12-2014 15:33 | By dembridges
three years ago I used to work in town it was a busy place now all you see is empty shops.
Who
Posted on 11-12-2014 16:13 | By Savi
Would want to wait for a bus with your shopping anyway, you would probably get mugged at the bus stop in Willow Street while waiting for one. I was accosted there by two low life's demanding money during the day at the car park there when putting money into the meter.
Carcass
Posted on 11-12-2014 20:18 | By Carcass
While you have council staff running things that have no experience in running a business and don't have to live by their wit like business people have to the Tauranga CBD will go belly up.Councils have no idea about businesses they should be putting policies in place so businesses can operate
The Council have no Taringas
Posted on 12-12-2014 08:16 | By Colleen Spiro
So they need another six months to contemplate what the public have already told them, THEN they will put it out to public consultation. *shakes head*
Dead space
Posted on 12-12-2014 08:46 | By YOGI BEAR
The result of Council thinking, planning and scheming to make things 'better' has had the obvious effect on business in the CBD. All the 'special' rules about parking for a few has meant that over the years that there is: no parking and no money to pay for more parking. This all takes the brain of a mushroom to achieve and that they have.
Council doing their best ...
Posted on 12-12-2014 09:34 | By Murray.Guy
Council doing their best ... to undermine the obvious, the 'right course of action' - parking parity City Wide! If elected members cannot firstly apply integrity to their thinking processes then they shouldn't be there, bugger off! Is it fair that the CBD is singled out for double dipping on street parking. The answer in NO, NO, NO! There is absolutely NO rational that supports the CBD in 2014 being managed any different from any other retail and business precinct in Tauranga. Stymieing the right decision is solely EGO and revenue earning! There are NO costs associated with on-street parking in the CBD any different to any other area. Just to what's right, do your job!
Owners and workers will park there??
Posted on 13-12-2014 18:07 | By Annalist
I can't wait for the free parking so that we'll see the shop owners and staff use it? Then they won't have anyone else to blame for the downtown dying. At least the constant moaning will stop I suppose. While we're at it how about rates parity too. Why should different properties pay different rates? Actually I want free rates.
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