Carparks and Pay-by-Plate Meters

At the Council Meeting on 7 May 2026 Councillors voted to trial extended free parking in its four city centre car parks to better understand demand for parking and to support local businesses during the quieter winter months.

From 15 May 2026 free parking in Millers Acre, Wakatu, Buxton & Montgomery carparks will extend from 1 hour free, to 2 hours free.

Free parking for the first TWO hours (three-month trial in effect from 15 May 2026)

Nelson City Council offers free parking for the first two hours when parked in the city.

You must use either a Pay-by-Plate meter or the PayMyPark App even if using the first free two hours.
Parking fees after the first free two hours will be at the rate of $2.00 per hour.
The Parking Bylaw and fees apply from 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm on Saturday.
Maximum time limits apply - check signs and meters for times
Free all-day parking is available on the city fringes, and for carpool permit holders in the city centre.

Motorcycles may park in designated parking spots for free. If a motorcycle parks in a paid car park, then it must pay and abide by the time limits.

Resources to help you understand how to use the app and meter:

Pay-by-plate parking meters FAQ's

How does it work?

Simply input your registration number into the meter and pay for your time, there’s no need to return to your car with a paper ticket. Parking wardens determine the validity of your parking via your licence plate number.

Can I get a receipt?

You can request an email receipt. This option will be displayed on screen when you pay.

How much will parking cost?

Parking fees after the first free two hours will be at the rate of $2.00 per hour.
To cover bank costs there is a 2% fee for PayWave. App charges vary and are described below.

Can I check how much time I have left?

Yes, go to any meter and enter your plate number to find out, or alternatively check on the PayMyPark app without returning to your car.

What about the first two hours free?

Drivers will benefit from two hours of free parking, which can be split into eight 15-minute periods.

What do I do if I have a motorbike or a vehicle displaying a mobility card?

Drivers with mobility cards still benefit from being able to stay for twice the advertised time limit in P30 and P60 spaces. Display your mobility card as usual and use the new pay-by-plate meter to pay for parking as described above.

How to use the PayMyPark app

The PayMyPark appallows users to pay for their park using their mobile phone. You can either make a one-off payment with a credit/debit card or pay using stored credit on an account using either a linked credit/debit card or bank account (A2A).

To download the app search “PayMyPark” on the App Store or Google Play.

Follow the on-screen instructions to set up an account. PayMyPark charge 50c per park to use the App without registering, but this gets much cheaper if you create an account and load stored credit on the app. PayMyPark’s charge for a $20 upload with a card is 8.6% and 6.2% for A2A. This rate decreases on a sliding scale with larger amounts (to a minimum of 3.2%) up to a maximum top-up of $299.

Benefits of a PayMyPark Account

Check time remaining on your park remotely
No need to pay the 50c fee
Extend your park remotely within time limits
No need to enter your number plate each time – you can store up to six
Start/Stop parking function – park, click ‘start’, then ‘stop’ when you return, and only pay for the time you use

For more information, frequently asked questions or help on using the app, visit PayMyPark.

Parking meter hours and time limits

Parking meters are found on many streets in the CBD. The first two hours of parking is free as long as you enter your car’s registration number in the pay-by-plate meter.

Vehicles may only use their 2 hours free once per day, but that two hours can be split into 15-minute increments.

Parking meter hours

8.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday
9.00am to 1.00pm Saturday

Except public/statutory holidays.

Parking time limits

Signs with white lettering on a blue background with a P at the top indicate the time restriction in minutes. (P5, P60, P120 are the standard restrictions in Nelson). Vehicles are ticketed for the length of time they exceed the time limit. Any infringement fee depends on the length of time the vehicle was parked over the time limit. A vehicle must leave the time limit area completely once the time limit has been exceeded.

Hours the parking time limits apply

Monday – Friday 8am–5pm and Saturday 9am–1pm except for public holidays or as otherwise stated on signs.

Public carparks

Buxton Square car park

Pay-by-Plate meters can be found at the Collingwood and Bridge Street entrances and either side of the toilet block. Other facilities include a public toilet.

Charging hours	Max. Parking	Entrance	Spaces	Mobility Parks
Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 1pm	3 hours	Bridge St & Collingwood St	329	5

Millers Acre car park (adjacent to the Nelson Bus Hub)

Pay-by-Plate meters can be found in the centre of the carpark. Other facilities include a public toilet, Information Centre and Bus Depot.

Charging hours	Max. Parking	Entrance	Spaces	Mobility Parks
Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 1pm	3 hours	Halifax St	TBC	TBC

Montgomery Square car park

Nelson Saturday Market takes place on Saturday from 6am to 1pm. If parking in Montgomery over Friday night, please use parks on the outer edge. Otherwise, Council will organise the removal of your vehicle to an exterior space.

Pay-by-Plate meters can be found at the Bridge, Rutherford and Hardy Street entrances as well as either end of the public toilet. Other facilities include a public toilet.

Charging hours	Max. Parking	Entrance	Spaces	Mobility Parks
Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 1pm	3 hours	Bridge St, Hardy St and Rutherford St	329	5

Wakatu Square car park

Pay-by-Plate meters can be found at the Rutherford Street and Wakatu Lane entrances as well as two in the centre of carpark. Other facilities include a bus depot.

Charging hours	Max. Parking	Entrance	Spaces	Mobility Parks
Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 1pm	All day (centre parks) 1 hour (edge parks)	Rutherford St and Trafalgar St	145	3

Other locations to park

Alternate parking areas all day at no charge

Hathaway Terrace/Trafalgar Park
Grove Street
Collingwood Street
Nile St West
Kerr Street
Gloucester Street (some restricted parking at Hardy St end)

Reserved areas for licence to occupy long-term car parking

Bridge St Car park $78.00 per month plus GST
Tasman Street Car park $110.50 plus GST per month

No parking in these locations

If you park in any of the following areas, you risk being fined and/or having your vehicle towed away.

On the right-hand side of the road except in a one-way street.
Where it will be in the way of other people using the street.
Near a corner, curve, hill, traffic island or intersection, if it will stop other people from seeing along the road.
On any footpath.
On, or closer than 6 metres to an intersection, unless there are parking spaces or a notice telling you that you can park there.
On, or closer than 6 metres to the approach side of a pedestrian crossing.
On a marked bus stop or taxi stand or loading zone — goods vehicles only.
Closer than 6 metres to a bus stop marked only by a sign.
In front of or closer than 1 metre, to a vehicle entrance.
Alongside another parked vehicle – i.e. you must not double park.
On broken yellow lines – within 1 metre of the kerb. You may see these near pedestrian crossings, intersections, driveways or narrow roads
On, or closer than 0.5 metres, to a fire hydrant, or between the fire hydrant and footpath, unless somebody who can move the vehicle stays with it.