Off-street car parks
Updates to the City’s Regulated Parking Areas from 1 July 2026.
What’s changed?
- The free city centre parking allowance has been reduced from 3 hours to 2 hours
- Hourly parking rates have been updated for both on-street parking and Council-operated off-street car park
Updates to centre parking signage (from 3P FREE to 2P FREE) are being progressively rolled out and may take a week to complete across approximately 170 signs. Where a 3P FREE sign remains, the existing time limit will continue to apply until the sign has been updated.
For full details, including updated charges, please download the FAQ PDF available on this page and review the updated parking maps or go to the webpage linked below:
Council provides off-street car parks at strategic locations in the region.
Parking fees and regulated hours (when time limits apply) vary depending on the location. Please check signage. Parking at Council's car parks is free on public holidays.
How do I pay for parking?
Council's off-street car parks (except the Lake Street multi-storey and CPAC car parks) use 'pay by plate' machines.
The machines accept Australian coins (except 5c coins) or Visa and Mastercard (minimum fee $1). Please note machines do not provide change.
'Pay by plate' does not require a ticket, so no need to return to your vehicle.
Drivers can also use the EasyPark app at the:
- Grafton Street car park
- Hartley Street car park
- Hospital Esplanade car park (opposite the hospital within the Esplanade)
- Southern Esplanade (Lagoon) car park
Report a parking machine fault
If a parking machine is not working, you can report the fault 24/7 to 1300 187 603.
Note: The call will not be answered but will instead send an SMS message to your mobile. The SMS message will contain a link for you to report the parking machine fault. You must click on the link to report the fault.
Accessible parking
We recognise all interstate and international accessible parking permits.
If you have an accessible parking permit, you can park for free, and as long as you need to:
- In a designated accessible parking bay
- In any on-street or off-street parking bay*
Drivers must obey regulations applying to taxi zones, loading zones, bus zones and no stopping zones.
*Free accessible parking is not available at Council's Lake Street Car Park or the Cairns Performing Arts Centre Car Park as these are operated by boom gates.
Location: at CPAC, corner of Sheridan and Florence Streets, entry from Sheridan and Grafton streets
Available spaces: 132
Fee: $2.40 an hour, capped at $6 a day
Paid parking hours: 8.30am to 5pm weekdays
Free parking hours: after 5pm weekdays, all weekend and public holidays
Disability parking (designated bays): yes, payment required (boom gates)
Please note: the car park is for the exclusive use of ticket holders during performance times (no casual use).
Permits
No permits available
Location: Grafton Street, between Shield and Aplin streets
Available spaces: 100
Fee: $2.40 an hour, capped at $6.50 a day
Paid parking hours: 6am to 6pm, 7 days
Free parking hours: after 6pm every day and all day public holidays
Disability parking (designated bays): No dedicated disability marked parking bays, however the driver can park in any normal marked white bay and display a valid disability permit.
Permits
Note: Reserved bays are fully occupied and we are not accepting new applications at this time.
Location: at the end of Hartley Street, near the Sheridan Street intersection
Available spaces: 450 spaces including RV parking
Fee: $2.40 an hour, capped at $6 a day
Paid parking hours: 8.30am to 5pm, weekdays
Free parking hours: after 5pm weekdays, all weekend and public holidays
Disability parking (designated bays): yes
Drivers can pay using the Easy Park app.
RV parking: RV bays are for exclusive use by large recreational vehicles including motorhomes, campervans, coaches, caravans and large truck campers that can not fit within a standard car space. They can not be used by standard size vehicles or utes. Payment is required.
Permits
No permits available
Location: opposite the Cairns Hospital (on the Esplanade), between Kerwin and Charles streets
Available space: 75
Fee: $2.40 an hour
Paid parking hours: 8.30am to 5pm, weekdays
Free parking hours: after 5pm weekdays, all weekend and public holidays
Disability parking (designated bays): No dedicated disability marked parking bays, however the driver can park in any normal marked white bay and display a valid disability permit.
Drivers can pay using the Easy Park app.
Permits
No permits available
Location: Lake Street, between Shields and Aplin streets, adjacent to the Lake Street bus terminal.
Available spaces: 300
Fee: $1.50 an hour, capped at $10 a day.
Paid parking hours: 8.30am to 6pm weekdays, 8.30am to 2pm Saturday
Free parking hours: After 6pm weekdays, after 2pm Saturday, all day Sunday and public holidays
Disability parking (designated bays): yes, payment required (boom gates)
Height Restriction: maximum 1.9m high
Permits
5-day permits (Monday to Friday) are $156 per calendar month
7-day permits are $179 per calendar month
Please note the same application form is used for 5-day permits and 7-day permits.
Location: Esplanade parkland, near McKenzie Street intersection
Available spaces: 65 spaces
Paid parking hours: no fee
Free parking hours: parking is always free
Disability parking (designated bays): yes
Permits
No permits available
Location: Palm Cove Jetty, northern end of Williams Esplanade
Available spaces: 37 spaces, 3 bus spaces, 2 car and trailer spaces
Paid parking hours: no fee
Free parking hours: parking is always free
Disability parking (designated bays): yes
Permits
No permits available
Location: Esplanade parkland, near Upward Street / Esplanade intersection
Available spaces: 96 spaces
Paid parking hours: no fee
Free parking hours: parking is always free, time limited to 3 hours between 8.30am and 5pm weekdays, and 8.30am to 11.30am Saturday.
Disability parking (designated bays): yes
Permits
No permits available
Location: Esplanade parkland, near Smith Street intersection, next to the Fun Ship Playground
Available spaces: 60 space
Paid parking hours: no fee
Free parking hours: parking is always free
Disability parking (designated bays): yes
Permits
No permits available
Location: next to the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon, accessed from Pier Point Road
Available spaces: 290
Fee: $2.40 an hour
Paid parking hours: 6am to 10pm, 7 days
Free parking hours: after 10pm every day and all day public holidays
Disability parking (designated bays): yes
Drivers can pay using the Easy Park app.
Permits
No permits available
Please note: the Southern Esplanade Car Park is the open-air car park directly adjacent to the Lagoon / Fogarty Park. The underground car park beneath the Pier Shopping Centre is commercially operated.
Location: Eastern end of Collins Avenue
Available spaces: 50 spaces
Paid parking hours: no fee
Free parking hours: parking is always free
Disability parking (designated bays): yes
This car park services the Tanks Arts Centre, Botanic Gardens and Arrow walking trails.
Permits
No permits available
There are also a number of commercial (privately operated) car parks that you can use.
Council is not responsible for these car parks and does not set the fees.
- Cruise Terminal car park (Wharf St)
- Cairns Square (Abbott St)
- Cairns Convention Centre (Hartley St)
- Cairns Central Shopping Centre
- Hilton International (Marlin Parade)
- Koppens car park (Grafton St, south)
- The Pier Shopping Centre
- Ports North car park (Lake St, south)
- Reef Casino (Wharf St)
- Rusty's Markets car park (Sheridan St)
Last Updated: 1 September 2026
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