Mayor and Councillors set parking rules for Ōamaru CBD

Published on 12 May 2026

Today the Mayor and Councillors approved a series of changes to Ōamaru CBD parking.

The following four changes will not begin immediately, and Council will provide information about when they come into effect:

• The one-hour free parking will be removed, returning to the user-pays for parking that was in place prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
  
• Paid parking hours will run from 9:30am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday and 9:30am to 1pm on Saturdays. Parking outside of these times, and all day Sunday will remain free.
  
  
• The fifteen-minute period to register for parking will also be removed from the Parking By-law. Those parking during paid parking hours will need to pay by app or at a machine immediately upon parking.
  
  
• A free parking permit for over-80’s will also be available in future, once a database has been established for eligible drivers to provide identification and a current driver's license.

This change will begin from Tuesday 12 May:

• CCS mobility parking permit holders can park for free in any Ōamaru CBD space, if they display their permit upon parking.
  
  

Council also directed officers not to progress investigation or implementation of additional paid‑parking areas at this time, and to retain existing free‑parking areas as status quo, unless otherwise resolved by Council at a future date. This provides free parking options within the CBD and Harbour area.

Excess revenue from paid parking in the Ōamaru CBD is placed into the Oamaru Business Rate fund, and used to offset business rates in the area. The changes agreed today will lead to an estimated $170,000 surplus which can be used for this purpose.

ENDS

media@waitaki.govt.nz