CAIRNS Central Shopping Centre management has confirmed customers will begin paying for parking within the next eight to 12 weeks.

It is believed customers will be charged after two to three hours but how much customers will be charged per hour is still not known.

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"As part of Cairns Central's commitment to ensuring convenient access to the centre, a new car park management plan will be introduced," a statement from centre management said.

"The main change will be the introduction of timed car parking to promote more efficient turnover of the centre's car parks.

"Importantly, parking will be free for a period of time."

The changes come after figures revealed up to 400 commuters were using the centre to park each day before walking to work.

The statement said management would try to ensure "minimal disruption" during construction of the payment devices.

Centre manager Derek Ariss said managed parking facilities enabled more efficient turnover of car spaces.

But customers of the shopping centre had differing views about the plan to introduce paid parking. When asked if she would pay for parking, Cairns resident Gabrielle Blanch said she would not.

"I would ride my bike," she said.

"But it is kind of understandable if customers can't get a park because they are taken up by people going to work."

Ms Blanch said she did her grocery shopping at Cairns Central on a regular basis but was rarely parked there for longer than two to three hours.

Fellow Cairns resident Katherine Boicos said she had no problems with the plans.

Ms Boicos said she had recently moved to Cairns from Melbourne, where paid parking at shopping centres was the norm.

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