Tauranga City Council has approved a $29 million fund for a new parking building.
This was one of any announcements to come out of council's Long Term Plan meeting this week.
During LTP deliberations, councillors voted 10-1 for the provision of additional off-street city centre parking in the shape of $24 million for a new city centre parking building and $5 million for an extension of the existing Elizabeth Street facility.
The Elizabeth Street work is expected to create a further 110 spaces.
The $24 million building is due to be built during the first three years of the LTP, between now and 2018, with the Elizabeth Street extension to follow. Read more here.
SunLive asked members of the public where they though would be an appropriate place for a new parking building in the city.
Watch the video above to see what people said.
8 comments
Car parking in Tauranga
Posted on 06-06-2015 18:37 | By maddog
well I know for a fact the the top of the Elizabeth street car park building that the top is takening up by Trustpower and I think it should be used for more car parking for customers visiting the CBD and not for trust power.The building that's been built in Durham street where BoP times use to be for trust power should also contain parking for there staff. I think we really need to think and look where would be a suitable area for a car park building near Cameron rd as an idea.
more parking please
Posted on 06-06-2015 19:41 | By hapukafin
There is a shortage of CBD parking.Every now and again the council wants to take a few spaces here and there for what I see as meaningless use.Another parking building is the only way to go and not to be managed by Wilsons.
White elephant?
Posted on 06-06-2015 21:35 | By aghpr
Is this the right time to be building big parking structures? Hamilton built one around the turn of the millenium and recently sold it for less than half of what it cost the city. Demand for parking is likely to decline in future. The signs are also pointing towards a younger generation of Kiwis choosing to spurn cars. New Zealand Transport Agency figures show that, a decade ago, 1,099,685 people aged between 17 and 25 had some form of driver's licence. By 2009 that number had dropped to 494,628 and, by the end of last year, it had reduced to 483,902.
Hand the parking thing to retailers
Posted on 07-06-2015 11:37 | By Annalist
Given the constant moaning and wanting free this and that from some of the city's fine retailers I suggest handing the whole parking issue over to them to sort out. They can operate meters and wardens if they want or just leave it as a free for all. I've been put off even coming into the city by the well publicised whingers anyway. But council giving land they already had down for parking to the university project is just silly. Why should ratepayers have to invest in education as it is clearly a government responsibility???
If Kiwis could park IN the shop they would!
Posted on 07-06-2015 15:13 | By How about this view!
We are lazy buggers and getting worse. There is little going on between the ears of some either. Having made many overseas trips, I have become a fan of Park-and ride. I will regularly use free off-street or mall parking and hop on a bus into town. $7 will allow me to travel on as many buses as I need to, all day. How much is spent on parking next to the shops you want, IF you can find a space and how much is the fine if you get delayed for twenty minutes?
Annalist
Posted on 08-06-2015 00:30 | By YOGI BEAR
What a muck up of a decision this is, look at it, anything decision, hint iof borrowing money and they are like Flynn, just can help themselves.
Annalist, you lack facts
Posted on 08-06-2015 08:15 | By Murray.Guy
The CBD retailers are well within their rights to express concern in regards the contribution of this Council to their struggle to attract customers. The on-street parking has already been paid for (City wide) and metering is 'DOUPLE DIPPING'. It is the City Council that has given away and removed huge areas of street level parking paid for by ratepayers (including them), it is the City Council that only 4 years ago said that the CBD developers NO LONGER had to meet the parking needs of their developments, staff saying we had an over supply. Annalist, we ratepayers have been lied to, manipulated, retailers abused and their business potential stymied by an arrogant dishonest approach to the provision and management of parking and I for one am glad not all leave the CBD, that a few have the integrity and courage to speak out!
hapukafin
Posted on 17-06-2015 21:47 | By YOGI BEAR
Not managed by Wilsons? Cant help but point out that the current mess has been created by TCC and TCC alone. They are obviously unable to consider any alternative except spending $30m on buildings and all borrowed. This is complete madness.
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