Let’s get two hours free parking back, Hamilton mayoral contender says

Thursday, 8 May 2025

The new kiosks for registering and paying for parking in the CBD have been confusing and frustrating for some - less free parking time has also been a concern.

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Key Hamilton mayoral race contender Tim Macindoe is backing reverting to two hours free parking in the CBD but his centre-left rival Sarah Thomson isn’t keen.

Last year’s change to just one-hour free between 8am and 8pm Monday to Saturday was designed to encourage more turnover at short-stay parks to theoretically benefit the likes of retailers. The free CBD on-street parking is due to be phased out completely next year.

“Fiscal conservative” councillor Macindoe says his call for reverting to two hours free follows complaints the current one-hour regime and heavier infringement fines are scaring people away from the CBD.

“I think it should change back.”

But councillor Thomson - who also has a keen interest in CBD parking issues - thinks reverting to two hours isn’t sustainable.

“Right now I don’t think that is the best way forward,” Thomson said.

Hamilton councillor and mayoral candidate Tim Macindoe is keen to see two hours free parking return to the CBD.

She’s been supporting a range of other ways of tackling and looking at parking problems.

Macindoe said his comments weren’t about gaining mayoral election advantage.

He had wanted to retain two hours during long term plan discussions last year. “I backed two hours from the outset.”

But he then accepted a “compromise” of just one hour for the time being.

There are two CBD parking zones with different prices under the new regime introduced last year.

The main reason he supported returning to two hours now was that the current regime “is having a significant detrimental impact on inner city retail”.

“We know from talking to quite a few retailers that there’s been a significant drop for them in trade since the change from two hours to one.”

More people were talking to him about their concerns since he’d publicly become a mayoral race contender last month, he said.

Customers were telling retailers they no longer wanted to come into town because of less free parking time, while heftier parking fines introduced nationally last year were another issue.

“The concerns out there are growing palpably,” he said, with social media traffic amplifying the sorts of concerns expressed by retailers.

On the higher fines, he said: “Many people are still struggling to use the new street kiosks and parking app.

“Fines of $70 and $80 have been reported even for minor transgressions, and several who have faced such fines have told retailers that they won’t be returning to shop in the central city.”

Another worrying sign of the problems was the growing number of “for lease” and “for sale” signs in shop windows in town, he said.

“Council must look at the evidence and do what we can to attract shoppers back into the CBD.”

Macindoe has asked for a councillor workshop soon to revisit parking issues.

“I’ll be urging councillors to join me in taking a fresh look at our options in order to do what we can to increase shopping activity and support our inner city businesses.”

Macindoe mayoral race supporter and two hours free advocate Geoff Taylor (left) warned last year of new parking rules and fines potentially creating a “perfect storm” of motorist anger.

If he was elected mayor, and had the numbers to support him around the council table, he would look to re-instate two hours free.

A “pragmatic” solution would be needed and the issue wasn’t necessarily one that would divide councillors along ideological lines, he said.

While Macindoe accepted a need for CBD parking charges “I don’t think we’ve got the settings right at the moment because we know that people aren’t coming into town in anything like the numbers that they used to”.

Councillor and mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson doesn’t believe reverting to two hours free parking in the CBD would be sustainable.

Macindoe’s mayoral race supporter and long-standing free parking advocate councillor Geoff Taylor said the situation bore out his warning of the reduced free hours and heavier fines creating a “perfect storm” of motorist anger.

Thomson didn’t feel reverting to two hours free was a sustainable solution.

However, she was keen to see CBD parking made easier, with simplification of meters and parking processes.

She had supported various moves to either create or explore improved parking.

Thomson said most CBDs nationally had payment for parking.

Hamilton Central Business Association general manager Vanessa Williams supports a return to two hours free CBD parking.

While some in Hamilton didn’t like parking being less free, others could potentially be frustrated by not being able to get parks due to lower turnover if free hours were higher, she said.

Also, developments in the CBD - such as the regional theatre and new hotels - would add to the need to manage demand for parking spaces.

“Over the next few years it’s going to get a lot busier.”

Thomson also pointed out that short-term CBD parking revenue in 2026-27 was forecast to be nearly $900,000 higher than 2023-24 when $190,000 was collected while two hours free was in place.

Losing that extra revenue could affect rates bills, she said.

But Hamilton Central Business Association general manager Vanessa Williams said on Wednesday she would support reversion to two hours free, noting there’d been a noticeable reduction in CBD foot traffic since it was removed.

“I will support anything that reduces a barrier to people coming to town.”