• City of Darwin is inviting the community to help shape the future of parking in the Darwin CBD through a six-week engagement. 

• The CBD Parking Review aims to understand how existing parking arrangements can better support local businesses, residents, workers and visitors, and supporting a more accessible, shaded and vibrant CBD. 

• Community consultation is open from Monday 9 November until Monday 21 December 2026. 

City of Darwin is calling on residents, businesses, workers and visitors to have their say on the future of parking in the city centre, with community consultation now open as part of the CBD Parking Review. 

As Darwin continues to grow and change, the review will ensure the city's parking network remains fit for purpose, supporting access to the CBD, local businesses and a thriving city. 

The review will examine the location, availability and effectiveness of existing parking, including short-stay parking, disability parking, loading zones, taxi ranks, pick-up and drop-off areas and City of Darwin-managed on-street and off-street parking. 
 

City of Darwin Lord Mayor Peter Styles said the review was an important opportunity to understand how people use parking across the CBD and identify opportunities for improvement. 

"Parking plays an important role in how people access our CBD, whether they're heading into work, visiting a local business, enjoying our restaurants or accessing essential services," Mr Styles said. 

"We want Darwin's CBD to be a place where people can easily access businesses, services and attractions, and where parking arrangements support the needs of everyone who uses the city. 

"That means understanding what's working well, where improvements could be made and how we can better balance the needs of businesses, residents, workers and visitors. 

"We've already heard valuable feedback through our initial engagement with select businesses and industry groups, and now we're inviting the broader community to share their experiences and ideas. 

"Whether you visit the CBD every day or just occasionally, we want to hear from you," he said. 

Initial stakeholder engagement, including parking "walk-shops” and targeted interviews, has identified opportunities to improve short-stay parking, disability access, loading zones and pick-up and drop-off arrangements. 

The review will consider the existing Zone A, B and C parking arrangements, including the distribution of parking spaces and current parking duration settings. 

Mr Styles said community input would play an important role in informing future recommendations. 

"We encourage everyone to take a few minutes to complete the survey and help us plan for a more accessible, convenient and vibrant Darwin CBD." 

Community feedback will be considered alongside parking data, technical analysis and stakeholder input to inform recommendations for Council's consideration in 2027. 

The review does not include changes to annual parking fees and charges, the CBD Parking Levy, universal free parking, construction of new multi-storey car parks or decisions about future bike lane locations. 

Have your say 

Community consultation is open from Monday 9 November until Monday 21 December 2026. 

Complete the online survey through Engage Darwin at https://engage.darwin.nt.gov.au/darwin-cbd-parking  

Hard copies of the survey will also be available at the Darwin Civic Centre.