Parking Strategic Plan 2023

Council endorsed the Parking Strategic Plan 2023 at the Council Meeting on 28 February 2023 and will implement its key actions, including the implementation of a Citywide Parking Scheme and visitor pay Smart Parking in key locations.

Permits will be available for Blue Mountains residents, ratepayers, businesses and their employees for FREE parking, when Stage 1 of the Visitor Pay Smart Parking Scheme commences. Carer Permits will also be available for FREE parking for those who live outside the Blue Mountains and care for a local resident, as well as for contractors who are temporarily working in the Blue Mountains.

There will be a 3-month transition period, from 1 July to 30 September 2023, to enable residents, ratepayers, businesses, employees, carers and contractors to apply for FREE parking permits before any compliance activity commences for visitor pay parking. Any driver that overstays in timed restricted parking locations in town centres could continue to be fined during that period and after, as they are now.

During community consultation about the Citywide Parking Scheme, 71% of responders agreed that Council should charge visitors to park in the Blue Mountains to help pay for services, facilities and infrastructure.

Read the Media Release: Visitor Pay Smart Parking to get underway in July 2023

The smart parking project is to be rolled out in stages.

Stage 1 - from July 2023

Smart parking (sensors, parking meters and signage) will be rolled out in existing time restricted parking locations in town/village centres at:

  • Blackheath
  • Katoomba
  • Leura
  • Wentworth Falls and
  • Glenbrook. Please note: sensors only will be installed in Glenbrook town centre in Stage 1 in order to analyse current traffic turnover in the village, given its proximity to Penrith.


Smart parking will also be rolled out in existing time restricted parking zones at the following key visitation sites at:

  • Echo Point, Katoomba. This is to bring Echo Point in line with the new Citywide Parking Permit Scheme.
  • Lincoln's Rock, Wentworth Falls. This rollout has been brought forward due to requests from residents in the area.


Stage 2 - from November 2023

At the 30 May 2023 Council Meeting, Blue Mountains City Council endorsed the public exhibition of the Draft Key Visitation Parking Precincts Plan that outlines the plan for nine high demand visitation sites that will also have smart parking infrastructure operational by November 2023.

These locations include:

  • Cahill’s & Boar’s Head Lookouts, Katoomba
  • Echo Point Precinct, Katoomba (expansion of existing)
  • Katoomba Falls
  • Gordon Falls, Leura
  • Leura Cascades
  • Wentworth Falls Lake
  • Falls Road adjacent to Wentworth Falls Lookout
  • Fletcher Street and Valley Road adjacent to Conservation Hut, Wentworth Falls
  • Lincoln’s Rock, Wentworth Falls (expansion of existing).

You can have your say on the Draft Parking Precincts Plan from 5 June until 17 July, 2023.

Read the Media Release: Public Exhibition of the Draft Key Visitation Parking Precincts Plan

Stage 3

This stage will include the ongoing implementation of smart parking to additional areas. The introduction of smart parking to such areas may be due to:

  • visitation increases to a location
  • a future parking precinct plan recommends the introduction of smart parking functions
  • new parking infrastructure is installed, or
  • areas where high parking demand already occurs however, did not already have timed parking restrictions in place at the time of implementing Stage 1.

For more information:

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