Councillor's Comment: Mel Courtney
Winter boost for city businesses and the community.
From Friday, 15 May, Nelson City Council began a three-month winter trial to extend free parking in central city car parks from one hour to two hours. It is a simple step with a clear purpose: To support local businesses and encourage people to spend more time in the city during the quieter winter months.
Winter is always challenging for retailers and the hospitality sector, and this year those pressures are even more pronounced. A cost-of-living crisis, rising fuel prices and the temporary closure of the Trafalgar and Bridge Street intersection have created headwinds.
These challenges are not of the businesses’ making, yet businesses are working hard to adapt to the situation. Extending free parking from one hour to two hours at the Buxton, Montgomery, Wakatu, and Millers Acre carparks is a practical response. It removes a cost barrier and gives people more flexibility in how they spend time in the city.
What difference can an extra hour make? Quite a lot. It allows people to attend appointments, visit a café, shop and connect with others in a single trip. That means more activity, greater support for multiple businesses, and a more enjoyable, less rushed experience overall.
Accessing the two free hours is straightforward. Drivers need to either use the PayMyPark app or one of the meters that surround the carparks. Although the free parking limit has been extended to two hours, the rules for time-limited spaces remain the same.
For example, a car can still only use the 60-minute spots in Wakatu Square for one hour.
The two free hours can be split up over the day. By using the meter or the PayMyPark app, drivers can break the time into 15-minute segments. A driver could, for instance, park for 45 minutes in Montgomery Square in the morning, then use the remaining 1 hour 15 minutes later in the day at Buxton Square.
Encouraging fewer, more purposeful trips helps ease congestion and reduces the pressure of time and a cost on households. This is a time-limited trial. Council will monitor usage and collect feedback from businesses and the community before making any long-term decisions.
At its heart, this initiative is about listening to local voices and acting. Choosing to visit the city, shop locally and meet friends for coffee are small decisions that collectively sustain a vibrant, connected community.
*Please note that all standard parking rules apply. This is a winter trial that will last till Sunday 30 August 2026.
Read more: shape.nelson.govt.nz/parking-strategy
