Parking in Tauranga's CBD is always a topic of contention, even more so now with construction taking place in the city.
A recent post on Facebook has highlighted the issues some tradies are facing while working in the CBD.
It says current parking options are to spend $100 plus per week on parking, move vehicle every two hours, or be stung with $30 fines every time a vehicle has parked in a spot for more than 120 minutes.
The commentor's gripe is that they are working hard on a development which is meant to improve the CBD, but are being 'savagely done by the council for parking”.
'Many of the contractors need their vehicles close at hand as many tools, plant and products for the job need to be accessible, and due to the vast number of people on site, bringing everything on site is a safety risk.”
Tauranga City Council transport director Russell Troup says parking options for the general public and other CBD workers vary.
'There are parking buildings, or on-street car parks that have variable time limit or charging depending on location and proximity to the CBD.”
When asked if people working on developments in the CBD should be exempt from paying for parking, Troup says the CBD has a constrained parking environment with short term parking provided to assist retail businesses attract customers.
'Providing longer term parking discourages vehicle turnover for these retailers which discourages shoppers from entering the CBD, unable to find an empty parking space.
'With large numbers of long term construction workers parking in the CBD on street spaces there would be no spaces left for these short term parkers.
'Retail store workers in these same retail stores would be disadvantaged by any decision to provide free parking to workers from other industries.”
Tauranga currently has 3642 public parking spaces in the CBD.
Troup says there has been little change to the overall number of spaces in the last five years.
'Although there is temporary variance when developments within the city, like the Farmers building, need road space during construction.”
He says the parking fees reflect the high cost of operating and maintaining the carpark buildings.
'Tauranga's are very cost effective compared to other main cities.”
8 comments
Basement parking
Posted on 14-06-2021 10:36 | By Johnney
Looking at the size and scale of the Farmers development one would have thought the underground car park would be available for the tradies.
@ Johnney
Posted on 14-06-2021 11:05 | By Yadick
That's actually a really good point. Why too can't the tradies have 2 or 3 levels in the carpark building by Farmers at a significantly reduced rate. Without these tradies we are not get anything back in town. It's a win/win TCC. You got to cut them some slack. Mind you on the other side of the coin, the few struggling retailers we have left have to pay to park for work . . .
Misleading
Posted on 14-06-2021 12:58 | By Accountable
The on street parking is free for the first two hours and then you must move your car to a paid parking area or leave town as you will be charged incrementally for the extra time used to park in the CBD. It should be up to the developers such as The farmers to supply parking for the tradies and not the Council. The CBD has lost over 1500 car parks in the last five years which suggests that the Council staff don't know or don't want you to know the truth of their creations. Parking is the life blood of the CBD and without it the area will continually shrivel up and die and the options being put forward by the Council to improve the situation are zero. In ten years time the area will be a derelict slum with a big flash Farmers building sitting at the to
They should not be exempt
Posted on 14-06-2021 14:25 | By The Sage
Parking, as in any job, is the responsibility of the employee. If a vehicle is needed for work then the employer should be paying for or be responsible for the fees. A fairly simple process. You cannot say that in say 18 months this building will help the retail in the CBD. These construction vehicles are causing so much disruption and taking up so much space, that many of these businesses will not survive. Look what happened when the old BOP Times building was demolished and how long Durham Street was closed.
CRIKEY . . .
Posted on 14-06-2021 14:54 | By Yadick
There's some REALLY good thought provoking points being raised in comments here and just perhaps my idea wasn't as good as I first thought . . .
CBD parking
Posted on 14-06-2021 15:15 | By joan king
I agree with a lot of the comments but saying that I would never go back to the CBD for shopping. I have tried on a few occasions and never been able to find a park and after half an hour of driving around parked down in 9th Avenue area but that is a long walk to the city for an older person so now I just dont bother anymore and stick to the convenient shopping malls with car parking free and except for around Christmas always available spots. Its a win win for me. Without the tradies the work wont get done so I do believe they should have some subsidy for parking of some sort to help them out.
Parking
Posted on 14-06-2021 19:35 | By surfsup
The parking is bad all over. The wardens target 4th Avenue on a daily basis and the majority of people who park there work in the area yet you can see the mad scramble every two hours as people have to move their cars. The all day parks are taken up with the contractors working on the Holy Trinity Hall.
TCC Greed
Posted on 15-06-2021 16:33 | By LHem
I think it's cruel that you charge the very construction workers you want to rebuild the town centre in desperation to re-inject life into it! Shame on you! Yet another poor choice by TCC! I will never shop in downtown Tauranga again. It's dirty, too many vacant shops over both Devonport road and Grey street, and the homeless rough sleeping in doorways has never been reinforced. Absolutely disgraceful!
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