People from across Tauranga have come out strongly with their views on parking at the Mount and their feedback is helping to shape what happens next.
Over 2,000 people shared their thoughts through an online survey and at in-person events during Tauranga City Council’s ‘Help shape Mount parking’ engagement in July this year.
At the in-person events, staff acknowledged parking is a challenging issue as different people want different things, and the Mount gets especially busy over summer and during events.
Responses through the survey were varied: 770 people said they didn’t want paid parking, while 1,341 recognised there are problems and want better parking options.
At a Council meeting last week, the Council agreed to take a staged approach to parking changes. This will start with additional time restrictions on Victoria Road, Marine Parade and The Mall, as well as increased parking enforcement. The bylaw for Salisbury Avenue and The Mall will also be updated to support cruise ship tour operator traffic management.
Staff will now prepare a detailed plan for how these initiatives could be rolled out, which will come back to the Council for review.
Following a long campaign, and a presentation from Miro Street residents to the City Delivery Committee earlier this month, the Council also gave staff the green light to gather feedback from residents and businesses on the Miro Street one-way proposal. This proposal includes creating more on-street spaces to help ease parking pressure in the area.
Looking ahead, the Council confirmed the development of a Mount Maunganui Parking Management Plan which will outline the strategic direction of parking at the Mount. Options include angled parking on The Mall, paid parking at Council-owned off-street carparks, a new off-street carpark near Coronation Park, and a business plan to support financially sustainable, paid parking at the Mount.
Deputy Mayor and Mauao/Mount Maunganui Ward Councillor Jen Scoular says the community’s input has been invaluable.
"It is important we hear from as many people as possible when we are making decisions that affect them. I would like to thank everyone who filled out the survey or came along to the events. It’s clear there are quite different views from people around the city, but it’s a real challenge because there isn’t a lot of space. I’ll add that biking is a great option around the Mount and certainly helps with the parking issue.
“I’m also really pleased that options for Miro Street are being explored with residents and businesses using that street. I hope we can make a real difference to how that street works – for parking, for safety, and for everyone who uses it.”
For more information on the ‘Help shape Mount parking’ campaign and to view the feedback summary, visit letstalk.tauranga.govt.nz/mountparking