City of Darwin will be selecting hosts to receive a Parklet through an Expression of Interest and Application process.

What is a parklet?

Parklets are repurposed car parking bays designed to create new spaces for activation of City of Darwin’s streetscape. Parklets provide the opportunity to support local business while positively contributing to the broader community through, the provision of seating and greenery, and fostering the potential for neighbourhood interaction.

Who Can Apply?

Any business, property owner, or organisation can apply to host a Parklet if they have a parallel parking bay adjacent to their property, which is located on a City of Darwin road that has a speed limit 50km/h or less with street lighting.

You can apply for a Parklet as an extension of public open space, or outdoor dining, adjacent to your business. The Parklet may be for the exclusive use of patrons of the host venue/business during your regular trading hours. Outside of those periods the Parklet is to be available for use by the public.

You will be responsible for ongoing maintenance and upkeep which could result in additional costs. You must also hold, or obtain, public liability insurance cover to $20 million for the Parklet indemnifying City of Darwin. 

To assess whether your business will be considered for a Parklet and whether or not you are prepared to meet maintenance and cleaning obligations, please review the Council Owned Parklet Guidelines. 

When to Apply?

If you wish to receive a City of Darwin owned Parklet you will be required to submit an Expression of Interest Form.

If you wish to install you own Parklet this can happen at any time via the Host Owned Parklet Application Form. Existing Parklet hosts should note that these guidelines have changed and you will be required to update your permit application in due course.

How to Apply?

City of Darwin Owned

If the City of Darwin approves your Expression of Interest you will be invited to submit an Application. You will be required to demonstrate the benefit of you receiving a Parklet against a set of criteria to ensure both the benefit and viability of your Application. The Expression of Interests, and subsequent Applications will be assessed internally by a Project Control Group. 

Successful applicants will be required to enter into a license arrangement with City of Darwin for a minimum period of three (3) years and a maximum of five (5) years. Penalties apply for early termination of the contract.
The costs associated with hosting a Parklet could be up to $350/week, pending final construction costs.

This amount is inclusive of carparking fees up to $5,850/year (depending on your location) and, outdoor dining fees of $1,700/year. Council has waived outdoor dining fees until 30 June 2022 and waived the loss of car parking bays for outdoor dining until further notice in November 2017. 

In addition to these fees, the applicant will be responsible for the once-off cost of the preparation of the licence and agreement conditions. City of Darwin prepares non-licensed permits and is at the cost defined within City of Darwin Fees and Charges. External Solicitors prepare the licensed permits, with the applicant responsible for all costs.

Unsuccessful applicants that meet all the location guidelines, but are unsuccessful in their application for a City of Darwin Parklet, will be able to either:
-    implement a City of Darwin designed Parklet at their own cost or,
-    submit a design for their own Parklet for approval as per below.

Host Owned

Hosts are able to submit an application to install their own Parklet at any time via an the Host Owned Parklet Application Form.

These parklets must meet the requirements outlined in the Host Owned Parklet Guidelines*. Each Parklet application will be assessed by City of Darwin staff accordingly.

As per City of Darwin’s existing guidelines, existing Parklet hosts will be required to submit a renewal application at their regular annual permit update, via the new ‘Host Owned Parklet Application’ and may be required to upgrade their Parklet to comply with City of Darwin’s Design Guidelines in due course. 

*Please note: these documents have been updated recently so please familiarise yourself with them even if you have applied for a Parklet with us previously.