Media Release

Central City Carpark launch a great success

Sausage sizzles, spot prizes and more cars parking than ever before made the re-launch of Whangarei’s revitalised Central City Carpark a great celebration.

Central City Carpark has undergone a major revamp over the past few months, with security cameras installed, walls and pillars and stairwell repainted to reflect the bright and cheerful 'love it here' colour scheme, re-lining the lift, and realignment of traffic flows.

“People often complain that there is not enough car parking in Whangarei, but all along we have had this central building with lots of under-cover parking, sitting there almost empty,” said WDC Property Manager Mike Hibbert.

“We had a good look at the problem and decided that if we put up new signs so more people were aware of it, cleaned it up, made it brighter, easier to drive around, and safer, both with the security cameras and new lighting, that people would be more likely to use it. Saturday proved that to be true.

“The refurbished building is now not only a safe and attractive place to park, it is also the most convenient and cost-effective central city option at only $1 an hour for unlimited hours,” said Mr Hibbert.

Many central city businesses got behind Council’s promotion of the improved parking facility by providing big blue boxes into which shoppers put their till receipts to enter a draw to win a month’s free parking, and by providing great spot prizes on the day.

The lucky winners, Kay Netzler and Kerry Proctor, will get free parking right through to Christmas, so they can use the Central City Carpark with its convenient access to CBD shops as often as they wish during that time for Christmas shopping.

© Scoop Media

Scoop Business: Bathurst Gets Nod For DoC Access To Denniston Mine

Conservation Minister Nick Smith has approved access over conservation estate land for Bathurst Resources to develop an open cast coal mine on the Denniston Plateau, above Westport, to the dismay of environmental opponents.

The timing for Smith’s move avoids Bathurst having to resubmit applications for access agreements under the revised Crown Minerals Act, which comes into force tomorrow and would have required public consultation.

The announcement lands in the middle of delicate negotiations between the company, environmental groups and other interested parties that could pave the way to a broader agreement on the Escarpment proposal, whose resource consents are still subject to court appeals. More>>