Help shape parking in the Mount

We’re looking for solutions that make parking accessible, fair, and practical for today and the future.

Thanks for your feedback on parking in the Mount

We want the Mount to stay vibrant, accessible and easy for everyone to enjoy. To balance the needs of everyone who lives, works, visits and plays in the area, we’re looking at how we manage parking.

In June and July, we asked you what’s working well, what challenges you face, and what ideas you had to improve parking – whether they were tried and tested solutions, or out of the box ideas.

More than 2,000 responses were received, which were wide-ranging. 770 people said they didn’t want paid parking, while 1,341 acknowledged there are real issues and want better parking options. You can view a summary of the feedback below.

Help shape Mount parking feedback summary (1mb pdf)

In response to feedback received, the Mayor and Councillors will be taking a staged approach to parking changes. The Mount Parking Management Plan will also be developed with your ideas in mind, outlining the strategic direction of parking in the Mount and guiding decision-making.

Future updates will be made available on this webpage.

What did we ask?

While parking in the Mount has been discussed before, we started fresh. We wanted to know what’s working well, what’s not, and what ideas people had to make it work better – whether it was tried and tested solutions seen elsewhere, or out-of-the-box ideas.

We focused on the Mount North area, from Adams Avenue to Sutherland Avenue.

FAQ's

Why do we need a parking management plan in the Mount?

We know parking in the Mount can be a mission, especially in the summer months. We want to make sure everyone who wants to chill at the beach or make the most of the Mount vibes can do so year-round, and a parking management plan will help us ensure this.

What issues are we trying to solve?

There’s a high parking occupancy in the Mount – it reaches 100 percent at peak times, making it really difficult to find a park. Tauranga is also a growing city, and with future developments on the way, we want to make sure anyone coming to the Mount can find a park and make the most of their time in the area.

What ideas were we looking for?

No idea was too small or too big, as long as they were realistic. We were open to suggestions, such as yellow line markings in tight streets. We encouraged people to share whatever ideas they had to make parking fair, accessible and practical.

Will all ideas and feedback be possible when it comes to developing the parking management plan?

We wanted to hear all ideas; however, we may not be able to implement everything at once. We are focusing on balancing solutions and understanding what’s most important to those who live, work and play at the Mount while also delivering value for money.

What about the issues during peak cruise ship season, with the Salisbury Avenue car park used by tourism operators? How will this be addressed?

We know there are issues during peak cruise ship season, with the Salisbury Avenue car park used by tourism operators to pick up passengers. As part of the plan, we are looking to implement solutions such as signage and a bylaw in the area to manage this more effectively.

We’ve talked about parking in the Mount before. What’s different this time?

Parking has been a hot topic in the Mount for a while, but things are changing, so it’s a good time to take another look. There’s a lot of new development planned for the area, and national rules (like the Government’s urban development policy) mean we need to plan for more homes and businesses in places like the Mount.

We also have a new spatial plan which sets out how Tauranga will grow, where people will live, and how they’ll get around. That means we need to think differently about transport and parking, so the Mount stays vibrant, accessible, and easy to enjoy for everyone