Tauranga City councillors have changed their minds about having the tallest parking building in the country, following the lead of a single councillor who changed his mind about his vote.

Terry Molloy filed a notice of motion about his desire to change his vote over the 6/5 decision taken last month, which was seconded by Terry Molloy and had the support of two other city councillors.

The decision to build a $31.6m nine storey parking building with two additional basement levels, is rescinded. Instead the council will build a seven storey parking building with two basement levels costing an estimated $27.1m.

On reflection, Terry formed the view that insufficient consideration was given to matters of visual impact bulk and scale, neighbour impacts and uncertainty of parking supply and demand beyond a five year period as the city moves towards more strongly supporting alternative transport modes.

Max Mason put some perspective on Terry's statement saying the carpark building is going to be just one of a cluster of buildings of similar height that will appear in the near future.

'You have got two buildings, the Kingsview and Haringtron house with the third one of the parking building in between, so that's three,” says Max.

'In a very short time we are going to have the council administration building across the road from that as well. I seem to remember eight stories? We don't know but it's going to be very tall, it's going to be a big building.”

There is also going to be a hotel on the site across the road from Baycourt, which is also going to be very high. The confidential renderings the councillors have been shown of the heart of the city project also shows how big the other proposed buildings are going to be says Max.

So taking two floors off a building that is going to be surrounded by buildings of similar height is ‘neither here nor there', says Max.

Max's second point is the city centre is losing carparks to other projects and reducing the height of the proposed car park building will not cover the shortage.

'The city centre, the tertiary campus, the library carpark. The Harington St carpark is 92 we lose those,” says Max.

If the hotel goes ahead the council will lose 116 spaces.

The northern strand reclamation which is lined up for redevelopment holds 162 car parks. Cliff road which may become a museum holds 136 spaces.

Max says the central city is going to lose 950 car parks and gain only 400 car parks with the shorter building. And the current policy doesn't require new buildings to provide their own parking.

'We are not going to have enough car parks.”

Kelvin Clout and Gail McIntosh reminded Terry the city is growing and it is going to need more carparks.

'It's not going to block anything out, only another ugly building that the government owns,” says Gail.

Gail resented the fact it is the second notice of motion in a short period of time and suggested standing orders be changed to allow one notice of motion in a six months period from each councillor.

Terry Molloy says the loss of 135 car parks from the shorter building isn't going to break the bank, and that continuing to build bigger roads and more car parking buildings is a fatal flaw, and that the city will have to start the transition to more public transport, other forms of transport like walking and cycling.

'Everything is changing so quickly in terms of transport,” says Terry.

The vote was 6/5, notice of motion was supported by Councillors Brown, Morris, Curach, Baldock, Molloy and Mayor Brownless. It was opposed by councillors McIntosh, Mason, Clout, Grainger and Stewart.