The Tauranga City Council is going to tap into a special fund to explore a range of initiatives aimed at helping the CBD’s struggling businesses.

Parking, a point of concern for many retailers, will be one of the items on the agenda.

The move has been prompted by calls for action from inner city businesses which say the CBD is in crisis and they are struggling to attract staff because of a lack of parking.

Commissioners were today asked to approve widening the scope of the $500,000 per annum three-year fund to better respond to concerns raised by CBD businesses, including parking restrictions.

The fund was originally intended to help increase the supply of residential accommodation in the city centre.

However, council’s General Manager: City Development and Partnerships Gareth Wallis said the number of people wanting to access the fund had “dried up” so the money could be redirected into finding ways to help CBD businesses.

“As a council, we can do more to support the city centre over the next couple of years,” Wallis said.

“There’s definitely no silver bullet. If there was, we would’ve already done it,” Wallis said.

Wallis, and commissioner Anne Tolley, both referenced “particularly negative” feedback from CBD businesses last week.

Tauranga City Council’s General Manager: City Development and Partnerships Gareth Wallis Photo / Andrew Warner

On Thursday, Bay of Plenty Times reported calls from CBD shoppers, business owners, and workers for free parking, greater security, and an aesthetic update.

This follows a council finance, strategy and risk committee meeting on March 27, where Downtown Tauranga chairman Brian Berry said the CBD was “in crisis” and the number of vacant shops gave the impression it was “dead”.

Asked by Tolley how he proposed to address some of the issues raised, Wallis responded with parking, “particularly short-term parking, particularly for tradespeople”.

“Staff car parking is actually a big [concern],” Wallis said.

Some hospitality businesses had expressed concern that staff were having to park outside the CBD and then walk to their vehicle alone late at night.

“Some of our big businesses are struggling to attract staff because of the lack of car parking. These are the sorts of things we do look to respond to in this fund,” Wallis said.

 “I can’t say we are going to crack it but by opening the scope of the fund, we have the ability to try different things to respond.”

If the fund’s scope was widened, proposed initiatives included the investigation of vacant sites - private and council-owned - for possible short-term parking; maximising availability and use of existing parking assets; developing a website with real-time parking signage; and feasibility studies to support the development of new, privately developed car parking buildings.

The council would also look at ways to support businesses impacted by construction disruption and for opportunities to improve the vibrancy of the CBD.

The council had been meeting with Downtown Tauranga over the past couple of weeks and “the need is now”.

“Particularly with winter on our doorstep. Our businesses are hurting and what we can do to support them would be appreciated.”

Commissioner Stephen Selwood said it was a “safety concern” hospitality workers were having to “park too far out when they finish their shift late at night”.

Tauranga City commissioner Stephen Selwood. Photo / Andrew Warner

Selwood suggested reducing the time period cut off for paid off-street parking from 6pm to 5pm, which could have “a very positive effect on those hospitality workers”.

In October, the commissioners adopted a new parking management plan which tightened parking restrictions in the central city and included the installation of at least 260 prohibited parking signs since November 21.

In December, a two-year council trial of free on-street parking came to an end to help encourage a higher turnover of parking spaces.

Since then, at least 120 carparks have been lost through the temporary closure of the Dive Cres carpark, and the permanent closure of the 90 Devonport Rd carpark area where the council’s new administration building will be constructed.

In the council’s latest Tauranga Parking Strategy, the 2021 report stated that parking management measures “such as pricing” would help to encourage mode shift, which was listed as a key outcome of council plans.

“As an example, pricing all-day car parking in and around centres above the cost of a return public transport journey can be an effective tool for incentivising public transport use by commuters and as such, supporting a more multi-modal transport system, and when combined with service improvements the benefits achieved can be greater.”

The commission approved the widening of the fund’s scope, with approval of expenditure of the fund delegated to the chief executive.