Mayor and Councillors confirm parking status quo, request strategy

Published on 17 February 2026

Today the Mayor and Councillors voted to retain one-hour free parking in the CBD pending further development of a parking strategy by Council officers.

The strategy will include options to extend metered parking to currently free car parks, potential changes to the one-hour free and free parking for over 80 year olds. This strategy will return to the Mayor and Councillors for their decision later in 2026.

One-hour free parking will remain in the Ōamaru CBD, but drivers will need to enter their plate number into a parking meter to activate it.

Drivers are also required to activate a meter or the app within 15 minutes regardless of their planned stay time. There is no grace period. This is to comply with Council’s Parking By Law.

Council had hoped that the community would use the 15 minute period appropriately. However some confusion and community focus on this part of Council’s parking by-law will be resolved by asking all drivers to enter their plate number within 15 minutes of parking.

The parking meters were installed in December 2025 to replace broken and obsolete meters. Council has seen an increase in both drivers entering their plate to claim their free hour, and those paying for parking beyond that time. This is trending upwards as the community gets used to the new machines.

Parking fees remain at $2 per hour, and can be paid for in 30 minute increments at meters, or using the app.

Parking will also remain free until 10am and after 5:30pm Monday to Friday, until 10am and after 1pm on Saturday and all day on Sunday and Public Holidays.

Meters can be paid for using contactless cards, payment enabled phones, or the PayMyPark App.

Drivers can use any meter to enter their plate number, not just the one nearest their park, within 15 minutes of parking. This gives them the chance to choose between the touchscreen meters or the phone-enabled virtual meters.

ENDS

media@waitaki.govt.nz