New carpark boosts parking in Rangiora Town Centre
Waimakariri District Council media release: 25th August 2025
The Council is excited to announce the completion of a new public carpark in the Rangiora Town Centre.
What was once the site of the old Rangiora Police Station at 309 High Street is now home to 57 free parking spaces, which are a welcome addition for businesses and visitors to the western part of the town centre.
Mayor Dan Gordon said it’s great to offer more public parking and that he looked forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on the community.
“When we put together the Rangiora Town Centre Strategy, locals and business owners told us they wanted to see Rangiora remain inviting, attractive, have good parking, and be a pleasant and vibrant place for people to shop.
“This new carpark delivers on that vision. It supports local businesses, and makes the town centre more accessible.”
The new facility offers 180 minutes of free parking and includes bike parking and new street lighting, making it a more convenient and safer option for moviegoers and visitors to the adjacent Town Hall.
Construction was led by EDR Contracting who along with site prep and the installation of the asphalt itself installed 240m of new drainage and 450m of new kerbing.
The old Police Station was closed in 2019 for seismic strengthening. Investigations showed the building was irreparable and in 2021 Police deemed it surplus to need.
Rangiora-Ashley Community Board Chair Jim Gerard said the transformation was a full-circle moment – having attended the opening of the former Police Station more than 25 years ago.
“I think this is a great use of the available space for the town – to have parking for the short term,” he said.
The Council purchased the site in July 2024, at the time calling it a “strategic, long-term purchase”.
“This purchase allows for both growth in population and demand for commercial and community spaces in the township as the community nears 100,000 residents by 2050, as well as provide for more parking spaces in the short term,” Mayor Dan Gordon said.