A draft parking strategy and action plan aims to provide better planning and infrastructure for public parking, transport and tourist signage information in the Mercury Bay South area.

Drafted by the Thames-Coromandel District Council, the strategy is based on feedback from key Coromandel Walks Project stakeholders and partners, the Department of Conservation, iwi Ngati Hei and an independent traffic report.

A review of existing car parking arrangements at the Hot Water Beach main car park and Bullock Paddock (Taiwawe) car park is one of several recommendations put forward in Thames-Coromanderl District Council's recently developed Draft Mercury Bay Parking Strategy Programme. File Photo.

Mercury Bay area manager Allan Tiplady says some of the busiest visitor destinations like Cathedral Cove, Hot Water Beach and the first route under development in the Walks project, lie within the Mercury Bay South area.

'So a number of elements need to be addressed, including car parking, the expansion of a shuttle service from Whitianga, a park and ride service and visitor signage and information,” explains Allan.

'What this draft parking strategy does is looks at how council and communities are responding to current congestion and parking issues and how to deal with the demands future growth associated with tourism and growth.”

The draft parking strategy is accompanied by a high level action plan which sets out recommendations for different areas within the Mercury Bay South Area.

The recommendations include:

1. Expanding the existing shuttle service that runs from Ferry Landing through to Hot Water Beach so it include multiple stops at new and existing points. The provision of a shuttle bus and park and ride service from the Hahei Village Entrance Car Park (currently under development) up to Grange Rd, that runs over the peak demand period for a minimum of 9am until 6pm and additional hours depending on demand and daily low tide timing.
2. Review existing car parking arrangements at the Hot Water Beach main car park and the Bullock Paddock (Taiwawe) car park and implement appropriate charging rates to manage demand.
3. Promote Lee's Road Car park (currently in design phase and planned to open in 2017) as the facility to use if walking to Cathedral Cove or the walks beyond it, to reduce traffic going to Hahei Village. Read the full draft parking strategy and action plan here.

'This draft parking strategy when it is finally endorsed by council will be reviewed annually, to provide the flexibility to amend and change options and tailor solutions to address parking and traffic issues,” adds Allan.

Follow the links to download the Draft Mercury Bay Parking Strategy Programme or the Mercury Bay Parking Action Plan.

To provide feedback on the draft parking strategy email [email protected] before Friday, September 30.