Free on-street parking on Saturdays and after 5pm on weekdays will return to the city centre next month, in a move to support local businesses while the area’s significant transformation is underway.
Additionally, a new lease structure for the Elizabeth Street and Spring Street parking buildings means that unused leased parking bays will soon be freed up for public use.
Tauranga City Council’s Commission today approved the changes to parking in the city centre. The decision comes in response to feedback from local businesses and the wider community that paid parking was discouraging some people from visiting the area.
At today’s Council meeting, Commission Chair Anne Tolley reiterated that one of the Council’s main priorities is to revitalise the city centre, so that it becomes the thriving, beating heart of Tauranga city once again.
“That revitalisation won’t happen overnight, however, and we really feel for the business owners who are struggling right now,” Anne says.
“While it’s an exciting time for the city centre as it undergoes a once-in-a-generation transformation, there will be challenges along the way – like parking – so it’s important Council remains nimble and can provide solutions that support visitors, workers and businesses in the city centre during this time.
“We hope today’s decisions show our community that we are listening, and that we can and will act in response to their concerns.”
General Manager: Infrastructure Nic Johansson says paid parking in Tauranga’s city centre was reintroduced at the end of last year to support retailers and customers who were concerned people working in the city centre were using on-street parking spaces all day.
“It’s still early days, but we are seeing a noticeable increase in available parking spaces during weekdays, which is great news for people wanting to park for a short time, close to their shopping destination.
“As intended, we’ve been closely monitoring the situation and we’ve found that Saturdays and weekday evenings are key times when paid on-street parking could be seen as a deterrent for people wanting to spend time in the city centre.
“We want to remove that barrier, so by making on-street parking free during those times and changing the parking building lease structure, we hope more people will visit the city centre and enjoy everything that’s on offer there.”
Changes to city centre parking approved today include:
- Free on-street parking all day Saturday (Sunday and public holidays remain free), effective from Saturday 3 June 2023 – in time for the holiday weekend.
- Weekday on-street paid parking will now finish at 5pm effective from Saturday 3 June 2023 – previously charges applied from 8am to 6pm.
- Leased parking in the Elizabeth Street and Spring Street parking buildings will move to a first-in first-served basis, or a premium fee for a 24/7 leased bay, coming into effect over the next few months.
Nic says while the long-term goal is for people to be less reliant on cars and using alternative modes of transport such as buses, walking and cycling, Council does acknowledge there will always be a need to provide car parking options for people who visit and work in the city centre.
Free weekend parking will also remain in place in the Spring Street and Elizabeth Street parking buildings.
For more information about parking in the city centre visit where to park.