Wollongong City Council could switch off its parking meters for four weeks over Christmas and early January, if a proposal being put forward by one councillor next week gets approved.
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Liberal councillor Cameron Walters will ask his colleagues at next week's council meeting to support a plan to turn off every parking meter in the CBD from December 21 to January 17.
Time limits would still apply, but drivers would not pay to park.
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Cr Walters has also suggested the council urge Wollongong Central owners GPT to play their part, by making parking free for the same period, or implementing three-hour free parking.
He says the move would cost the council about $74,000 in lost revenue, as this is what it would normally make from parking meters in the festive period.
"I think $74,000 is a small investment we can make in our business centre, which has been through a lot this year," he said.
"That money would be going back into the mall, because people would be spending that money in Wollongong instead."
He said removing parking fees would remove the perception that Wollongong was not a good place to shop.
"The biggest boost would be the perception - a few dollars here or there when it comes to parking, changes the perception," he said.
"This is a team effort and Wollongong Central should come on board as well. To say their car parks are full around the clock is an understatement."
Cr Walters said he hoped to "increase the Christmas crowds, in a COVID-safe way" and had support from the business sector.
"This time is when a lot of the commercial sector goes into shutdown, but it's also our largest period for retailers and hospitality," he said.
"So there's fewer people coming in to go to work and take up the car spaces all day."