Free Council parking in Central City

Parking in three of the Christchurch City Council’s busiest parking buildings is now free for the first hour.

This is part of an initiative designed to encourage more people to shop and do business in the central city, and to use Council parking buildings while doing so.

The free parking will be at the Lichfield Street parking building, The Crossing car park, (entrance on Lichfield Street just after the Bus Exchange) and the Farmers parking building (entrance behind the library on Oxford Terrace) which represents more than 1000 parking spaces.

The first-hour free parking operates every day of the week in the three buildings — plus, at the Lichfield Street and The Crossing buildings, parking is free all day on Sundays.

The Central City Mayoral Forum was positive about this initiative and included it in its recommendations to council for revitalising the Central City. The Forum is keen to see the impact this initiative has on bringing people to the Central City for business and pleasure.

The Forum hopes that city-centre retailers and businesses will get behind the promotion and inform customers in advertising and mail-outs.

The forum believes people taking advantage of the "first hour free" will stay longer than just one hour and the increased numbers of people in the Central City will help with the city’s revitalisation.

Charges for parking in these three buildings are:

• First hour free.
• $1.20 an hour for hours two and three.
• $1.80 an hour for hours parked beyond three hours

The first free hour doesn’t apply to early-bird parking or other long-term parking offers.