Parking

Rules

Can I park here?

When is a vehicle that has stopped briefly considered to be “parked” there?

Under the Transport Act (1962), your vehicle is legally considered to be parking:

• five minutes after stopping on a portion of a road governed by parking meters or machines under the authority of a local council
• immediately upon stopping on any other portion of a road, unless it is a vehicle picking up or setting down passengers in a loading zone, which is entitled to do so.

The definition of a road under the Act includes streets, motorways, beaches, and bridges, culverts, ferries and fords that form part of a street or road. It also includes any place to which the public have access.

You can avoid being fined for parking illegally by making sure you don’t park in the following situations:

Loading zones
Any vehicle can stop in a loading zone to unload goods or people, provided the vehicle is of the type on the sign, and not left unattended for more than five minutes.

Parking duration
The number under the 'P' on a sign shows the maximum allowable time you can park in minutes.

Clearways
You must not stop between the times shown on a Clearway sign. If you do, you can be fined and your vehicle towed away. You will also have to pay towage fees.

Bus stops and taxi stands
Only buses may stop in bus stops, and taxis in taxi stands. Vehicles other than buses may not park within six metres of a bus stop marked only by a sign.

Transit lanes
Only buses, cars with at least three passengers, motorcyclists and cyclists can use a Transit Lane. You may not stop or park in this lane during the hours of operation shown on the sign.

Broken yellow lines
A broken yellow line means no stopping at all times.

Footpaths and grass verges
Parking is prohibited on footpaths and grass verges because of the damage to grass and kerbs, underground pipes and cables.

Pedestrian crossings
You may not park on, or near a pedestrian crossing. These are designed to give people a safe place to cross the road.

Fire hydrants
You may not park within 0.5 metres of a fire hydrant unless there is a licensed driver in the car able to move it. A yellow arrow marking on the road, and yellow marking on the kerb, indicates a fire hydrant.

Vehicle entrances or driveways
You should not park in across or within one metre of a vehicle entrance or driveway.

Intersections
You should not park either on or within six metres of an intersection - this makes it dangerous for other road users and pedestrians.

Double parking
It is illegal to park alongside another vehicle on a road. This can block traffic and be a hazard to other motorists and pedestrians.

Advertising
It is illegal to park your car or trailer on the road while displaying advertising material.

Safety
Enforcement officers may also ticket drivers for safety offences such as failing to display a warrant of fitness, not having registration plates or current registration, or having bald or worn tyres.

Ignoring the parking laws can be serious

Parking illegally is not just a technical breach of the law, it can also have serious or even tragic consequences.

For example, if a driveway is blocked by an illegally parked car, it can be impossible for an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance or fire truck to use that driveway, or for a resident to leave. In incidents such as fires, police emergencies and heart attacks, any delay is serious and could prove fatal.

Vehicles parked on a clearway can also have a serious impact. Clearways are needed to keep traffic flowing and reduce congestion. An illegally parked vehicle will therefore block a busy traffic lane, which can lead to bottlenecking as two lanes of traffic are forced into one. The result could be an accident due to driver frustration and impulsive decision making. That could be dangerous for pedestrians as well as people in cars.