Tauranga city centre parking: 20‑minute free grace period now in place

Tauranga City Council has introduced a 20-minute free parking period in the city centre. Photo / George Novak

A 20-minute free grace period has been approved for all council-operated parking in the city centre and fringe paid zones.

The resolution, passed at Tuesday’s Tauranga City Council meeting, is now in effect and applies to all on-street and off-street carparks in the city centre, including the Elizabeth St and Spring St parking buildings, the council said in a statement today.

“The decision follows the council’s ongoing commitment to bring more people into the city centre.

“The council has heard that parking is one of the barriers, and this will help take away a barrier for short-term stays.”

Te Papa ward councillor Rod Taylor acknowledged that some hospitality and retail businesses in the city centre were doing it tough.

“The grace period means people can now quickly drop by the city centre for up to 20 minutes without paying – which is helpful if they’re there to grab a coffee, collect takeaways, or pop into the pharmacy," he said.

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale said there was no silver bullet to the issues some businesses were facing.

“We’re listening to people’s concerns and will continue to consider viable and targeted parking options to support the retail and hospitality sector in the city centre and encourage more visitors into the area.”

The council said it would also work with businesses and the accessibility community to identify where additional P5 and mobility parks should be located.

City centre loading zones can be used by anyone for quick stops of up to five minutes, helping ensure space is available for high-turnover activities.