Tauranga City Council has confirmed the next phase of the City Centre Parking Management Plan, aiming to improve access to short-stay parking and balance demand across the city centre and city fringe.
Council staff regularly monitor the demand for parking to ensure a balanced mix of options for residents, workers, shoppers, and visitors. Demand in the city centre and city fringe has increased significantly, and council receives ongoing feedback from residents about limited on-street parking availability.
From Monday, 4 August 2025, paid on-street parking will be introduced around the city fringe, including Third Avenue, Fourth Avenue, Glasgow Street, Selwyn Street, McLean Street, Monmouth Street, Park Street, Cameron Road, Anson Street, and Dive Crescent. Existing paid parking will also be extended along sections of First Avenue, Second Avenue, Willow Street, and Devonport Road.
The cost of parking in the extended area is $1 per hour for the first two hours, $2 for each additional hour, and a maximum charge of $10. Payment can be made at parking machines which will be installed in the area, or via the PayMyPark app.
Concurrently, P120 time-limited car parking will be introduced along some sections of Cliff Road, Brown Street, Arundel Street, Fourth Avenue, Fifth Avenue, Sixth Avenue, Seventh Avenue, Eighth Avenue, Sheath Street, and Edgecumbe Road.
Also, from Monday, 4 August, off-street parking prices in the city centre will be adjusted to better reflect demand. This includes a lower all day rate for the Elizabeth Street parking building to attract long-stay users and free up more convenient on-street spaces for short visits.
Te Papa Ward Councillor Rod Taylor says that pressure on city centre parking will continue to increase.
"It’s important we take a proactive approach and act now, so that everyone in our community can get a park when they need it.
“While staff recommended introducing a resident parking permit to help ease the impact on those living in affected areas, Council ultimately voted against this option after considering a range of views.
“It may not be obvious, but there are now more carparks in the city centre than ever, including before The Strand carpark was removed. We have upgraded the Dive Crescent carpark, created additional spaces at the Spring Street building, and opened a new public parking facility at Haumaru on Cameron Road. These carparks remain free on weekends, public holidays, and after 5pm on weekdays.”
With the upcoming changes, city centre workers are encouraged to use the parking buildings, long-term off-street carparks, public transport, or active travel like cycling and walking.
Mount Maunganui also faces parking challenges, with Council first exploring the development of a Mount Maunganui Parking Management Plan in 2023 in response to community feedback.
Following several deferrals of this work due to community concerns, Council is now revisiting the plan and is currently engaging with residents, businesses, and visitors to find out what’s working, what’s not, and what could work better - whether it’s tried and tested solutions seen elsewhere, or out-of-the-box ideas.
Community feedback for Mount Maunganui is now open at letstalk.tauranga.govt.nz/mountparking, and will close on Friday, 25 July 2025.
For more information on city centre parking changes visit tauranga.govt.nz/parking