Tauranga's council wants to limit parking in the centre city's core retail area to three-hour stints in an effort to increase turnover and make it more shopper-friendly.
In their last public meeting of the year yesterday, councillors turned down staff advice to increase parking turnover in the CBD by upping parking prices - a method backed by international research.
The councillors said while more expensive parking might discourage city workers from parking in the CBD all day, it could also work against the council's goal of encouraging shoppers back.
They opted to keep the parking pricing as is - $2 an hour between 9am and 3pm - and go out for consultation on adding the time limit.
In an effort to speed up the process, some councillors - including Terry Molloy, who has led the issue on behalf of CBD retailers he says are "hurting" as customers choose to shop elsewhere due to the city's lack of parks - wanted to put the change through without more consultation.
