Parking
Introducing Updates to the City’s Regulated Parking Areas from 1 July.
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 parks
- Bunda Street Car Park will be closing 30 June.
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 more than 6400 parking places in Cairns, including 4700 in the CBD, through a mix of on-street parking and off-street car parks.
Parking hours, especially on-street parking, are updated regularly as the city grows, to ensure a regular turn over of vehicles to balance the needs of visitors, shoppers, businesses and employees.
Time limits, and fees if applicable, apply between 8.30am and 6pm weekdays, and 8.30am to 2pm on Saturdays (except the Southern Esplanade and Grafton Street car parks).
Parking is free outside these hours and on public holidays, and time limits don't apply. However, drivers must continue to abide by rules for disability parking, loading, bus and taxis zones, etc.
Parking times and hours at other locations in Cairns will vary, so please check the signs.
Council charges $2.40 per hour for its on-street parking, although special rates apply for 8-hour parking on the fringe of the CBD. There are also heavily discounted rates at many of our off-street car parks.
FAQs Cairns CBD parking changes
Frequently asked questions and answers page, effective from 1 July 2026.
On-street parking
Cairns has a mix of paid and free on-street parking. Parking time limits are in place in the CBD and other high-use areas to encourage fair use of the space.
Off-street car parks
Council's off-street car parks provide short-term and all-day parking at varying rates. There is also a large number of private off-street car parks that motorists can use.
Parking fines
Parking fines are a way of encouraging the regular turn-over of vehicles to balance the needs of shoppers, workers, diners and visitors. Council reviews its fines each year.
Appeal your parking fine
If you have received a parking fine and believe there was an error or exceptional circumstances, you can apply to have it reviewed. First, you should refer to the reasons why Council is unlikely to withdraw a fine.
Parking permits
You need to apply to Council for a permit to use commercial loading zones or for business parking and residential parking permits.
Easy Park app
Drivers using Council's off-street car parks (except the Lake Street and CPAC car parks) can easily pay for their parking direct from their phone using the EasyPark app.
Pay by Plate parking meters
'Pay by plate' parking meter is ticketless. Simply Park, enter your licence plate details, pay and go about your day. There's no need to return to your vehicle.
Parking forms
Information and applications for parking permits, including hire of parking bay, Lake Street parking station, Grafton Street parking station, replacement or transfer of parking permit label.
Last Updated: 1 July 2026
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