Burning questions for Stuart Crosby

We asked our readers what "Burning Questions" they had for Tauranga's mayoral candidates. Today we publish the candidates' responses to the first two questions:
QUESTION ONE:
Tauranga City Council administers the three major shopping areas, namely Greerton, City and Mount Maunganui. The city is the only area of the three where the council manages quite expensive parking meters. Why? Is this fair and equitable for the public and retailers?.
ANSWER:
There is a historical and different approach for parking in central Tauranga versus other shopping centres. If the parking meters were taken out of Tauranga then the lost revenue would have to be made up from increased rates to pay for car parking land acquisitions, paying off current and future car parking buildings to which the parking revenue is applied too.
I have and will continue to support the new City Centre Project that will revitalise the Tauranga city centre via new private sector and council investment. This will bring more people more often into the city centre for different experiences.
The availability and cost of parking needs to be supported by smarter marketing of the availability of the car parking pool, smarter pricing at different times of the day and year, affordable worker parking. The city centre needs to be more pro-active in marketing and attracting people to the centre because it is unique and has different experiences it can offer as opposed to other suburban retail outlets. In other words people want to, and will come to the city centre despite the paid parking issue.
QUESTION TWO:
In light of the Government's recent announcements on liquor reform, what sale of liquor trading hours would you set within the city?
ANSWER:
The Law Commissions paper on Alcohol in our Lives was an insightful and challenging document that has laid out some options to improve the bad side of New Zealand's drinking culture. I support the Government giving local communities via the council and a consultative process, to have a say on liquor outlet trading hours and the number of outlets within their own community.
There is a clear connection between the availability of alcohol, over consumption and the subsequent social problems that emanate from people of all ages who become intoxicated.
While we need to be careful not to take away the rights of the sensible drinking majority When considering limiting liquor trading hours, I would need to ask why would you need to liquor outlets open after 10 or 11pm?
The issue of the trading hours for bars and other licensed premises requires a more lenient approach to trading hours due to the higher level of supervision within the licensed premises.