What the district wants in a decade
A business group is continuing to hammer away at getting an hour’s free parking to support businesses in central New Plymouth.
Michelle Brennan, from the Business and Retail Association (BARA), told the first day of public hearings on New Plymouth District Council’s 10-year plan that if the city’s central business district (CBD) continues to lose shoppers, businesses will close and there will be less revenue from parking meters.
Brennan was the second speaker at yesterday’s hearing in the chamber, where 175 people have asked to make submissions on how councillors should spend their proposed $3 billion budget.
The plans include spending millions on water infrastructure, the development of a multi-sports hub at the New Plymouth Raceway, and extending the Coastal Walkway, and could see a 12 per cent rates rise next year followed by an average
6.1 per cent rise every year for the following nine years.
In her submission, Brennan compared New Plymouth’s parking rate of $2 an hour from 9am-5pm in the CBD with similar cities.
Whanganui centre is $1 per half-hour to a maximum of 90 minutes, and $1 an hour on all other streets, while Nelson already has an hour of free parking.
New Plymouth CBD retail is under pressure from online shopping, big box shopping developments and suburban shopping centres that have no parking charges, Brennan wrote.
‘‘We need to be mindful of the issues businesses are facing following Covid19 and the impacts of job losses and business closures.’’
New Plymouth has had several free parking trials in the past few years, including a threemonth stint to support businesses after the Covid-19 lockdown, but it has never extended beyond a trial.
Councillor Marie Pearce argued that the current system was designed to create turnover rather than see workers parking all day.
‘‘It’s only one hour,’’ Brennan replied.
The retail association’s submission is supported by the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce.
‘‘We should just give this hour free car parking a go,’’ chamber chairman and King & Queen Hotel owner Daniel Fleming said.
‘‘Nothing to lose; everything to gain.’’
The proposal to spend $18 million to put water meters into every home was also discussed, with some submitters labelling them ‘‘a con job’’.
Ex-Kaponga farmer Mervyn Smith told the hearing he could not see the point of meters, but thought they would help people who use too much water.
‘‘I just think the money spent on water meters could be spent on sewerage.’’
The long-term plan would set aside $10m for projects in Inglewood, but Chester Young, coowner of Little Liberty Creamery, said what residents really wanted was a safe crossing on State Highway 3.
The fact that an underpass was in the works for Oakura showed that what they had been told wasn’t possible was, in fact, doable, he said.
‘‘The very basic act’’ of getting across the village by foot or by bike, with his children in tow, was just about impossible and often dangerous, Young added.
The proposed multi-sport hub, to which council is set to contribute $40m, also had submitters coming down on both sides.
Garry Carnachan said having a multisport hub would bring in thousands of ‘‘bed nights’’ (a night spent in paid accommodation).
‘‘It was really frustrating to sit at the table of national sporting organisations and not be able to put New Plymouth into the discussion [as a venue].
‘‘If we try and break it up into codes, we’re just going to cause arguments and go round in circles.’’
No submitters turned up to the late afternoon session, and the hearing is set to resume at 9.30am today and will conclude on Friday.