Following the end of an 18 month trial, Hastings councillors voted to return to paid parking this year, using meters from July, citing the results of an online survey that showed almost 70 per cent of the 3000 respondents preferred the parking system to be user pays, rather than paid through rates.
A council spokeswoman said relatively small charges for parking were necessary.
"At this busy time of year, it is especially important that everyone has the chance to park within the city centre to do their shopping.
"Charging for parking helps ensure people don't park for hours in the middle of the city and therefore everyone has the best opportunity to use the parking spaces. The regular process will remain in place over the holiday season. Hastings' car parking charges are very reasonable – the vast majority are $1 an hour."
"Of course, within the central city there are six large car parking areas that allow shoppers to park from between three and eight hours at 50 cents an hour; and in another block further out the parking is, in the main, free (although time limited)."
Hastings District Council community safety manager John Payne said as well as monitoring parking, parking wardens also kept an eye on vehicles and reported any suspicious behaviour.
"So there are many benefits from having them on our streets. They ensure traffic turnover by enforcing time zones and meters. This makes it fair for everyone and assists to promote a vibrant and economically viable community. Without parking wardens there would be parking chaos.
"The monies collected from parking enforcement go back into designing and building better parking solutions."
Thomson's Suits owner Angus Thomson disagreed with the council's assessment.
"We certainly appreciated the free parking when it was in and we did notice an increase in traffic around the city and an increase in positivity. The shoppers that were coming were thrilled and very happy about it."
It also attracted an increase in shoppers from Napier and Taradale.
"That certainly helped our side of the coin, and when we got the paid parking meters back there was a change in that positivity, which was disappointing and there was a noticeable slow down in traffic too.
"The other thing that showed up to me is that we are in competition with the shopping in the "big box" areas, Mitre 10, Warehouse and Kmart Plaza. They have all got free parking and now we seem to be penalising the shoppers for coming to the CBD at a time when they can do all their shopping online or at the big box areas."
Mr Thomson questioned how many people responded to the council's survey.
"If people don't want to use the CBD or the shops in town then they will probably close their doors. That's a worse-case scenario but if people don't support it then it leaves you feeling a little under appreciated."
Napier City Business Inc manager Zoe Barnes said parking could also be an issue for retailers and shoppers.
"Free parking around Christmas is something that has been discussed, however it is our understanding that it is not that paying for parking that visitors to the CBD have an issue with, but simply the actual inability to find a handy park to town during this period.
"We recommend familiarising yourselves with the parking buildings available around town, like the Ocean Boulevard building for instance, and the free parking streets around the CBD.
"Napier CBD is continuing its vibrant and buzzy November, which saw increased tourism spend, increased hospitality spend and a huge Black Friday sale into the month of December and retailers are poised to make the most of the festive season as we launch in to the traditionally busiest weeks of the year in the lead up to Christmas.
"The CBD will also have Christmas music in the weekends leading up to the big day, kids' entertainment and the annual free gift wrapping service in Ocean Boulevard so everyone will leave happy."
