Mayoral candidate and incumbent West Ward councillor Sarah Thomson wants to open a conversation about ring-fencing CBD parking revenue and reinvesting it back into the central city.
Thomson says the parking revenue could go into a CBD fund dedicated to making the central city a more vibrant and attractive destination.
“Right now the revenue from parking goes back into the council’s general budget. There’s an opportunity to change this, to ensure revenue goes directly back into supporting our central city.”
“It would be critical for the council to work closely with central city retailers and organisations to design what the fund could look like and how it could be managed,” says Thomson.
“I’ve heard from retailers who want more done to promote the central city, to create a vibrant atmosphere during major events, for example with flags and banners along the streets, and to generally improve the look and feel of the CBD.”
“As an example, the fund could be used to attract visitors into the central city before and after major events, such as games at FMG Stadium. Or it could be used to install lighting and seating along key streets.”
“If we continue with the current one hour free parking, the ring-fenced fund would likely be around $680k a year. If parking is set at $2 an hour in the green parking zone, high-level estimates show it could raise around $1.5 million a year to go back into the central city.”
(Note: the green parking zone is the most central short-stay parking area in the CBD, and the yellow zone is further out. The colours are used to differentiate pricing.)
“We know the central city needs some love, and this could be a way to shift the dial.”
Thomson says options for central city parking should go to consultation through the next Annual Plan, and she wants a ring-fenced CBD fund to be part of the conversation.
“In addition, it’s important CBD parking is easy to use and fair, and more work is needed to simplify the process.
“Regardless of whether we have free or paid parking, registration through the kiosks or app will still be necessary because the old system of chalking tyres is inefficient and costly to manage.
“Parking needs to be easy to use for everyone, including residents who are less comfortable with technology.
“The council also needs to take a fair and pragmatic approach to fines, including giving two warnings before issuing a fine for non-registration to allow for genuine mistakes.”
Since taking on the role of Chair of the Strategic Growth and District Plan Committee, which oversees the Central City Transformation Plan, Thomson has pushed for an increased focus on maintenance in the central city.
“It’s important we look after what we have. The central city is our front doorstep and we want visitors to our city to be left with a positive impression.
“With two new hotels, international flights, major events like Homegrown, and a new theatre due to open soon, we need to ensure our streets and public spaces are well maintained and cared for.”