Useful information
From 1 July 2026 paid parking hours will be from 09:30 - 17:30 Monday to Friday and between 09:30 - 13:00 on Saturday.
You must enter your vehicle registration into a parking machine or the parking app as soon as you have parked.
Usual restrictions apply to all limited time parks, disability parks, loading zones etc.
CCS Mobility Permit holders may park in any paid parking space for free.
How To Use Meters
Council has replaced its obsolete meters with two kinds of pay-by-plate meters. These take contactless or phone payment only and you must activate any meter once you have parked.
Time Restricted Zones, Unrestricted Zones and Paid Parking Areas
A map of these areas can be found here.
Restricted Parking
Parking in these areas is allowed for the number of minutes shown. The restriction applies from 8am to 6pm each day on days other than Public Holidays unless specified on the sign or a supplementary sign.
EV Charging Parks
There are EV (Electric Vehicle) charging stations around the Oamaru and Waitaki region for charging electric cars. Please only park electric cars in these areas. For Tesla owners, please check the Tesla website for superchargers around the district.
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Mobility Parking
You may only park in areas marked with this sign if you, or someone in your vehicle has a mobility permit issued by CCS New Zealand. They allow parking for free in areas marked as Disability parks. In areas marked P30 and longer the allowable time is doubled.
In Pay and Display areas CCS Mobility Permit holders may park for free.
Find more information about Mobility Parking.
80+ Parking Permit
The Waitaki District 80+ parking permit is available to drivers aged 80 years and over who:
- Hold a current New Zealand driver licence
- Reside in the Waitaki District and wish to continue driving and access paid parking areas in the Waitaki District.
- The permit holder must be the person driving the vehicle
An exemption card will be issued for display in your vehicle, and they will be entitled to the following parking privileges:
| Oamaru |
Free parking within any of the Pay by Plate paid parking areas. |
| Palmerston, Otematata and Omarama |
Parking for twice the time specified on any time restricted parking sign |
There is no charge for the exemption card. You will need to produce a current driver's licence with your application. Your permit will be sent to your residential address once processed.
Some other places you may not park
- On a bus stop or taxi stand
- On any footpath, apart from areas permitted by signage.
- On or closer than 50cm from a fire hydrant unless there is someone in the car able to move it if necessary
- On the right hand side of the road except in a one way street
- On or within six metres of an intersection
- On or less than six metres from the approach side of a pedestrian crossing
- Alongside another vehicle, i.e. you must not double park
- In front of or closer than one metre from a vehicle entrance
- In parks and reserves unless authorised by Council
- Where traffic signs say you must not stop or park
- Near a corner, curve, hill, traffic island or intersection if it will stop other people from seeing along the roadway
- On ‘No Stopping’ lines (broken yellow lines) marked within one metre of the road edge, which you may see near pedestrian crossings, intersections, driveways or narrow roads