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Jun 19, 2023

Townsville Parking

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Download the Townsville Parking app to pay directly with your smartphone, and start and stop your parking session – all in the one place!

Parking around the city has never been easier with Council's new smart meter technology.

Council installed Australian-made parking meters in December 2022 and are now fully operational.

The rollout features two types of solar-powered meters including coin, card and app operated meters for 2P parking spots, and card operated meters featuring a 17cm colour touch screen LED display for selected 2P spots and all 4P and 8P parking spots.The rollout also includes the new ‘Townsville Parking’ app, which has been tailored to meet the parking needs of our residents. The app allows users to pay for their parking without needing to go to the meter.

This smart technology works by using each vehicle's number plate as its identifier, removing the need for printed tickets to be displayed on vehicles.

Features still include 15 minutes FREE in all 2P parking spots – TIME LIMITS APPLY. You will have the option of selecting a stand-alone 15-minute free session at a meter, or if you pay, the 15 minutes will be applied as a grace period at the end of the session.

This upgrade not only offers the most up-to-date and sustainable technology, but still allows people to use their spare change to pay at selected 2P parking meters.

Townsville city features a range of parking facilities from 15-minute free parking to 8-hour paid all day parking. Regulated parking is in place Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, unless signed otherwise.

For more information, download the Townsville City Car Parking Map (PDF, 1.3 MB)

Our previous car parking meters were well past their useful life, outdated, and couldn't be economically maintained.

The old parking meters were costing Council more to maintain than they were to replace. The maintenance was uneconomical as the parking meters were no longer manufactured in France and replacement parts were near impossible to source.

No. Car parking meters are an asset and are depreciated over their useful life.

Council has asset lifecycle plans and funds in place to replace assets at the end of useful life. The parking meters asset plan is being implemented with the accumulated and budgeted funds available.

The $1.05 million is the total cost of the project including purchase installation, signage, and education for the community on the new Townsville Parking app.

Yes, the 2-hour, 4-hour and 8-hour paid parking limit signage across the city will still apply.

The maximum time you can park and pay for corresponds to the space you are using.

The first 15 minutes are free if you are parking in a 2P area. You will have the option of selecting just a 15-minute free session at the meter. This option is at the meter only.

With the renewal of the meters there has been no change to the cost of parking. Charges have not changed for over 11 years.

Credit card charges will be a minimum charge of $1. This is a decrease from the current charge of $2. If paying by coin for selected 2P meters, it is a minimum of 10 cents that is accepted.

Increments on how it is charged is different between the machine and the smartphone app.

Further information on the incremental charges can be found below under the Townsville Parking app heading.

If you are at a 2P coin machine, you are required to enter your receipt code into myparkingticket.com.au to receive an emailed receipt. The receipt number will appear on the screen just after the payment is processed. You need to record this to be able to later obtain your receipt from the website.

If you are at a meter where it accepts card only, you can scan a QR code and this will bring up your receipt in which you are able to receive an emailed receipt. Alternatively, enter the receipt code online at myparkingticket.com.au.

If you are unable to retrieve the receipt code online, Customer Service can raise an Information Request for you. Please provide:

To contact Customer Service, phone 13 48 10 or email [email protected] to retrieve your receipt code.

You can stay longer if you don't exceed the time limit in that area. For example, if you park in a 4P zone, then you can only stay for a total of 4 hours. You can top up as many times as you like if you don't stay past the time restrictions.

To top up your parking using the meters:

To top up your parking using the smartphone app:

For the coin and card meters (you must use the meter that you paid with):

For the card-only meters (you must use the meter that you paid with):

The Townsville Parking App that will be implemented is currently being used daily by other Councils throughout the country. The app will be tailored for Townsville.

Council is building an easy-to-understand user guide and videos to ensure that before the new meters are in – you will know what to do and how to do it.

Yes, you can find help at the Flinders St Library, and in the Customer Service Centre (temporarily in 143 Walker Street).

There will also be officers in the first few months patrolling the city to help the community through this transition.

Council will use discretion when issuing fines for genuine mistakes. In the case you believe you shouldn't have been fined for your infringement, you can appeal the decision.

To edit your registration number in the app, simply go to Profile > My Account > Manage Vehicles > Select the pencil icon to edit your vehicle details.

Download a printable copy of the Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 418.8 KB)

Council recognises the use of Disability Parking Permits issued by any state or national authority. Your permit entitles free unlimited parking in any disabled parking bay or zone and in any timed parking area where the time permitted is half an hour or greater.

You may not park in any loading zones, no stopping zones, bus zones or any 5 or 15 minute parking areas for longer than the time specified on the traffic signage applicable to the parking space.

Flinders Street between Denham and Stanley Streets is closed 3am to 3pm every Sunday for the Cotters Markets. This area is a tow-away zone from 3am on Sunday mornings.

Parking restrictions are clearly marked and car recovery is at owner's expense.

To recover a towed car please contact ABC Towing on 07 4775 5561.

Free electric car recharging stations are available at two locations, with specially marked on-street parking bays:

Download the CBD paid parking map.

A driver must not stop in a loading zone if signage applicable to the zone indicates it is for Commercial Vehicles Only, unless the driver is driving:

Under the Transport Operations Road Use Management Act, commercial vehicles are determined by body type - namely utilities, vans or small trucks - not passenger vehicles or registration type through Queensland Transport. If signage applicable to the zone only states 'loading zone' you may stop there if you are driving a motor vehicle that is dropping off, or picking up, goods; or dropping off, or picking up, passengers.

A driver who is permitted to stop in a loading zone under section (1) (a), (b) or (c) must not stay continuously in the zone for longer than:

A driver who is permitted to stop in a loading zone must not stay continuously in the zone for more than 20 minutes.

A driver who is permitted to stop in a loading zone section must not stay continuously in the zone for longer than two minutes.

Standard school zone hours across the city are between the hours of 8am to 9am and 2:30pm to 3:30pm with the exception of the below.

8am to 4pm, 40 kilometre per hour speed limit signs for the following school locations:

The following schools have varied school hour zones:

You can pay your parking infringement in person at our Customer Service Centres or online.

Request to waive a parking infringement

Applicants may also submit written correspondence via email or post. Applicants must detail the vehicle's registration & penalty infringement notice/offence number. Audit requirements indicate that when submitting written correspondence for parking fines that the original penalty infringement notice and original ticket/s purchased from Council parking machines must be supplied. Photocopied documents are not sufficient for consideration of waiver.

Download the Request to Waive Parking Infringement application (PDF, 596.7 KB).

Under Queensland legislation, a driver must not stop on a footpath, shared path, dividing strip/nature strip, on or adjacent to a length of road, unless official traffic signage approves parking in that location. This also includes the section of driveway outside your property boundary. This will not only save you from any pesky fines, but also keeps our neighbourhoods safe for pedestrians.

For more information read the Queensland Government's Transport Operations (Road Use Management - Road Rules) Regulation 2009 - Division 6, section 198.

On stadium event days, parking is free from 2pm in the CBD.

Did you know that on weekdays when there is an event at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Council offers free parking in the CBD? You will not need to display a ticket on your vehicle after 2pm.

Please note: Stadium Restricted Parking within blue and orange zones still apply – for more information view our Stadium Restricted Parking Area map.

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