Tauranga City Council’s Commission today agreed to defer both the extension of paid parking in the city centre and discussions on Mount Maunganui parking changes for another year, until March 2025.
Commission Chair Anne Tolley says the decision to postpone these parking changes takes community feedback on board and allows time to assess parking demand from a holistic point of view.
“We have listened to the community and heard their concerns and frustrations around parking in the city centre and Mount Maunganui."
“With community feedback in mind, there are various factors that need to be considered before changes are implemented. It’s important we continue monitoring parking demand over the next year and ensure we are taking a holistic and measured approach.”
City Centre
The expansion of paid parking in the city centre was put on hold late last year to allow some city centre projects to be completed before the changes were implemented. These proposed changes included extending paid on-street parking into the city fringe, from Third Avenue up to Arundel Street, and from McLean Street up to Monmouth Street. The proposal has been reviewed again and will now be revisited in March 2025.
Anne says although various projects in the city centre have now been completed, some of the more significant developments are still underway.
“The city centre transformation is progressing at pace and by this time next year there will be significantly more parking options available in the city centre. However, while various projects are underway, we want to minimise disruptions and allow time to monitor how the transformation will impact visitor, worker and business parking needs.”
Mount Maunganui
Community consultation around changes to parking in Mount Maunganui was set to begin in summer 2023, however, was put on hold in November 2023 due to concerns raised by the wider community and a need to understand the underlying parking problems first.
Anne says since the consultation was first put on hold, there have been ongoing discussions with local businesses and the community about the parking pressures in Mount Maunganui during peak times, however further analysis and data is needed.
“Before we progress with more in-depth conversations with the community, it’s important we first take a step back and analyse what is and isn’t working. By taking small steps, like better enforcement in timed areas, we will have a more detailed picture of Mount Maunganui parking demand.”
Recent data shows the time limited areas along the main street in Mount Maunganui are not being adhered to. This reduces the turnover in car parks available which can be frustrating for those trying to visit local shops or cafes. Feedback on Council’s draft 2024-34 Long-term Plan also supported this, with local businesses asking for more enforcement of existing timed areas.
Council will revisit city centre and Mount Maunganui parking in March 2025.