There is a 10 minute grace period during which people can park in the Tauranga central business district without buying parking time from a machine – or incurring a ticket.

Confirmation of this policy comes from the Tauranga City Council's annual plan workshop discussion on CBD parking issues.

The council's city parking team leader, Kevin Nally, says the grace period in Tauranga is 10 minutes, but in other centres it is five minutes.

This came as news to most councillors.

The announcement was in response to a complaint about having to go through the rigmarole of buying a parking ticket from the machine for only a brief stop and how this was among the main reasons why shoppers were keeping way from the Tauranga CBD.

The workshop that heard such complaints resulted in the council adopting a Tauranga Mainstreet recommendation for a quick series of multi-party workshops to address the CBD parking issues.

The workshops, which are to begin next month, will include city councillors and city council transportation staff, industry professionals, the Chamber of Commerce, the property council and city centre action group.

The Tauranga Mainstreet board feels councillors are under unfair and unrealistic pressure to make a decision based on the information and consultation opportunities provided to date, says Mainstreet manager Kirby Weiss.

'We request that time be allowed to work through the ideas and concerns around access and parking in the city centre,” says Kirby.

Any solutions that don't have a ratepayer impact could be put to effect through the year.

'Our suggestion of commencing the workshops immediately is to ensure momentum is not lost and there is a need to send strong signals to the public.”

He wants the workshops to be seen as the start of an active process to improve the current situation, rather than a postponement.

Councillors unanimously adopted the recommendation, but rejected an amendment by Councillor Murray Guy that the parking workshops apply citywide.

City parking costs will continue to be funded by user fees in the meantime.

The workshop recommendation was made after a presentation by MR Cagney consultants advocated pricing parking to control use that is putting the prices up on areas of high demand and high turn over, and lowering them elsewhere.