On-street Parking - SmartPark

SmartPark is a personal parking meter you keep in your car. It takes away the need to have cash for meters or pay-and-display machines.

How it Works

SmartPark machine with card

First you have to lease a SmartPark meter and purchase a pre-paid SmartPark card.

Then when you park, you identify the parking area you are in by the yellow label on the parking meter or pay-and-display machine.

Select the area code on the SmartPark machine, press 'OK' and leave SmartPark displayed on the dash or hanging from the rear vision mirror.

When you return to the vehicle just turn off the machine.

Advantages of SmartPark

• Pay only for the parking you use
• No need to carry coins
• No need to go to a meter or pay-and-display machine
• No need to guess how long you need to park (providing you don't overstay the maximum allowable time)
• Reduction in parking tickets
• No need to manage petty cash receipts or refunds

Parking Areas

SmartPark area sign

There are 14 parking areas, to cover all the possible parking variations in the city - such as morning clearways, evening clearways, 30-minute parking areas, etc.

The only parking areas that are not marked with a yellow label are Coupon Parking areas, which all have an area code of W13. You can use SmartPark in these Coupon Parking areas as well.

SmartPark Machine

You can order a SmartPark machine through SmartPark.

SmartPark website

SmartPark Cards

You can purchase SmartPark cards from the Council's service centre in Wakefield Street or Wellington Parking and Infringement Services, 40 Taranaki Street.

There are $50, $100 and $200 value cards available. There is a $5 cost for each card so a $50 value card will cost $55, etc. The Council will monitor the sale of the cards and may introduce higher value or rechargeable cards if there is a demand for them.

After you purchase your card, put it in the SmartPark machine. Each time you use SmartPark, the money will be debited from the card until it has no value left. Then you need to buy a new card.

There are no refunds on partially used cards, as with phone cards.

If your card is faulty, phone Wellington Parking & Infringement Services on (04) 910 3444.

Early Morning & Evening Use

Some parking areas do not start charging until 8.00am. SmartPark has a built-in clock to take care of this. If you park at 7.30am, SmartPark will not start charging until the appropriate time.

The same process applies at the end of the day. SmartPark will stop charging at the appropriate time.

Unavailable Friday Nights

SmartPark cannot be used to pay for parking on Friday nights between 6.00pm and 8.30pm.

Parking Tickets

You can still get a ticket if:

• you forget to turn SmartPark on and don't put any money in the meter or pay-and-display unit
• you exceed the maximum allowable parking time - for example you stay 40 minutes in a 30-minute area
• you position the SmartPark machine where an enforcement officer cannot read it
• you select the wrong area, such as a $2.00 per hour area when you are parked in a $3.00 per hour area.

More Information

SmartPark

Department Details:
Parking Services - Infrastructure