Central city  |  2 Aug 2019

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People visiting Christchurch’s city centre over the next few weeks may be in line for some unexpected treats.

In tandem with Baby Come Back - a ChristchurchNZ marketing campaign that encourages people to return to the central city - Christchurch City Council parking officers are giving away vouchers for two hours of free on-street parking, hot drinks, chocolate and electric bike rides, along with other goodies.

Council Head of Transport Richard Osborne says the parking team members are enjoying their new roles as city ambassadors as they hand out rewards to welcome people back to the CBD.

“So much is now on offer in central Christchurch as we work to build a better city,” Mr Osborne says.

“We want to acknowledge those people who are contributing to the area’s future success and vibrancy by coming into the CBD for a coffee, to go shopping or perhaps meet friends.

“Our voucher giveaways are simply tokens of appreciation to those people who are equally committed to supporting growth in our city.”

The Baby Come Back promotion campaign aims to change local residents’ perceptions of their city centre and encourage people to explore the CBD together.

"We’re excited by the influx of people coming back into their centre city, clearly the word is out that we’re open for business,'' says Tim Loftus, ChristchurchNZ General Manager of Marketing, Brand and Communication.

 "We love the idea of teaming up with our city’s parking wardens to help spread the love of the centre city. We really want to help raise awareness of the huge number of parking options around town, there are far more than people perceive,'' Mr Loftus says.

The voucher campaign is being supported by Fresh Choice City Market and Lil Ruby, Maison de Crepes, City Social, Electrify NZ and Espresso Carwash.