Please read through the following questions most frequently asked about parking in Ipswich:
Why can’t car parking in the Ipswich city centre be free?
- If all car parks in the Ipswich city centre were free, the premium parking bays would be occupied all day by long-sttay parkers.
- This practice would hurt local businesses, as their customers would not be able to find a convenient place to park to access their goods and services.
- Free parking always comes at a cost to someone - even when there is no cost to park, there are still costs to the facility owner relating to construction and upkeep.
- Fees generated from parking meters help fund the maintenance, construction and upgrade of parking facilities, as well as improvements to the pedestrian and cycle networks in the Ipswich.
Why can’t Council just build more car parks?
- The construction and maintenance of car parks is very expensive - a single off-street car parking bay can cost around $25,000 to construct.
- Abundant free parking would increase traffic in the Ipswich city centre to the point where the city becomes gridlocked.
- Continuing to provide large amounts of parking does not encourage the use of sustainable and healthy transport options such as walking, cycling, buses, trains and taxis.
- As the city grows, there will need to be a balance between providing:
- The right amount of short-stay parking (less than four hours) in the right locations to support local businesses.
- Options for long-stay parking (greater than four hours), including free parking on the fringe of the city centre and higher priced parking in more convenient locations.
What if I ride a motorcycle?
- A number of free parking spaces reserved for motorcycles are located throughout the Ipswich city centre - the location of these spaces is shown on Council's Parking Map.
- When parking in a regular car parking bay, motorcycles must adhere to the restrictions shown on the signage and a ticket must be obtained if parking in a metered bay.
- Tickets should be affixed to the registration plate or secured using a ticket display device.
Why do we need parking regulations?
Parking regulations assist in achieving accessibility and convenience for all members of the community. Council's approach to parking aims to:
- Assist in ensuring the safety of all road users
- Promote equitable and transparent allocation of parking spaces across all user groups
- Encourage the use of alternative transport modes such as bus, train, walking and cycling
- Reduce traffic congestion, energy consumption and vehicle emissions
- Accommodate the needs of local businesses and visitors to the city
- Reduce the number of spaces needed to meet demand
- Encourage longer-term parkers to use less convenient spaces such as those off-street or on the city fringe
What do the parking signs mean?
There are many different parking restriction signs, which may seem confusing at first. The following information will help you understand the different signs:
No Stopping
- A driver must not stop on a length of road or in an area to which a no stopping sign applies.
- There may also be a yellow edge line which also means that stopping is not allowed.
- These lines can be used either on their own or together with a no stopping sign.
Clearway
- A driver must not stop on a length of road to which a clearway sign applies.
- The only exception is if the driver is driving a bus or taxi and is dropping-off/picking-up passengers.
No parking
- Vehicles may stop for up to two minutes if the driver is dropping-off/picking-up passengers or goods.
- The driver must remain within 3 m of the vehicle.
Loading Zone
- Unless otherwise signed, vehicles may stop in a loading zone for up to two minutes if dropping-off/picking-up passengers or up to 20 minutes when dropping-off/picking-up goods.
- Unless otherwise indicated by the sign, buses or trucks dropping-off/picking-up passengers/goods and vehicles displaying a commercial vehicle sticker issued by Council are permitted to stop in a loading zone for up to 30 minutes.
School Loading Zone (two minutes max)
- All vehicles may only park for a maximum of two minutes during the times stated if on a school day.
Bus Zone
- A driver must not stop in a bus zone, unless the driver is driving a bus that seats over 12 adults.
- Parking is not permitted 20 m before or after a sign indicating a bus stop.
Taxi Zone
- A driver must not stop in a taxi zone, unless the driver is driving a licensed taxi.
Works Zone
- A driver must not stop in a works zone, unless the driver is driving a vehicle that is engaged in construction work in or near the zone.
Mail Zone
- A driver must not stop in a mail zone.
- A driver must not stop on a road within 3 m of a public post box unless dropping-off/picking-up passengers or mail.
Time Restricted Parking
- Parking time limits apply as indicated on the sign - examples include:
- 1/4P - maximum 15 minutes of parking permitted
- 1/2P - maximum 30 minutes of parking permitted
- 1P - maximum of 1 hour of parking permitted
- 2P - maximum of 2 hours of parking permitted
- 3P - maximum of 3 hours of parking permitted
- 4P - maximum of 4 hours of parking permitted
- 9P - all day parking permitted
- These parking zones require payment if the word "METER" is displayed.
- Time limits and payment only apply within the hours and days indicated on each sign.
Disability Parking Space
A driver must not stop in a parking area for people with disabilities unless the driver's vehicle displays a current Australian Disability Parking Permit.
For further information on parking restrictions refer to the Transport Operations (Road Use Management - Road Rules) Regulation 2009.
What is the role of a Council parking officer?
- Council's team of parking officers play an important role in creating a safe and accessible environment for motorists and pedestrians.
- Parking officers are also an excellent source of parking information for visitors to the city, so please feel free to approach the team with your parking queries.
- Unfortunately, parking officers can sometimes be maligned for carrying out their job - this is unacceptable and any instance of abuse or threatening behaviour towards a Council officer will be reported to the police.