Parking levies in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth

Published: 1 September 2026 | Last reviewed: 4 September 2026 | Information current as at: 4 September 2026

Parking levies apply to parking assets in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, but the three systems operate differently. Rates, geographic boundaries, liability rules, parking classifications and administrative processes are set independently in each jurisdiction.

Disclaimer:

This guide provides general operational and commercial information only. It reflects Ace Parking’s interpretation of the relevant parking levy framework and is not legal or taxation advice.

Each state has its own responsible government authority for the administration, application and collection of parking levies, and those authorities remain the definitive source for statutory requirements, liability, exemptions, concessions, registration, returns and assessments.

Rates, rules, boundaries and administrative requirements can change. Every property, parking arrangement and statutory position is different. Owners and operators should confirm their specific circumstances with the relevant government authority and obtain appropriate professional advice where required.

Current headline rates

Victoria, 2026 Congestion Levy: $3,030 per leviable space in Category 1 and $2,150 in Category 2.
NSW, 2027 Parking Space Levy: $3,120 per liable space in Category 1 and $1,110 in Category 2, applying to relevant spaces owned on 1 July 2026.
Perth, 2026–27 parking licensing framework: $1,349.60 for non-residential or tenant bays, $1,291.50 for long-stay public bays and $1,187.40 for short-stay public and on-street bays. Motorcycle bays have no fee.

These figures are not directly comparable because each jurisdiction uses different definitions, assessment periods, exemptions and licensing structures.

Melbourne Congestion Levy

Victoria’s Congestion Levy applies to relevant off-street parking in defined inner-Melbourne areas. The Category 2 area expanded from 1 January 2026 and other reforms changed the treatment of some residential and retail customer parking.

Read the Melbourne Congestion Levy guide

NSW Parking Space Levy

NSW applies its Parking Space Levy in mapped parts of Sydney CBD, North Sydney, Bondi Junction, Chatswood, Parramatta and St Leonards. The Parking Space Levy Regulation 2026 commenced on 28 August 2026 and replaced the previous Regulation, including changes affecting certain residential parking and exemption requirements.

Read the NSW Parking Space Levy guide

Perth parking levy and licensing framework

Perth operates differently. All parking bays within the Perth Parking Management Area are required to be licensed and, where applicable, an annual licence fee known as the Perth Parking Levy applies.

Properties with five or fewer fee-liable bays do not pay the annual levy fee under current guidance, but the bays must still be licensed.

What should a property owner actually review?

The levy amount is only one input into the economics and operation of a parking asset. Owners and asset managers should separate the statutory question from the operating question.

Operational review may include parking allocation, actual utilisation by time and user group, parking products and tariffs, capacity use, access-control and reporting data, redevelopment impacts and changes in ownership or tenancy.

Do not treat the levy as a simple pass-through

A levy increase does not automatically justify an equivalent parking price increase. The commercial result depends on demand, competing alternatives, occupancy, customer or tenant sensitivity and the broader purpose of the parking asset.

Depending on the site, the stronger response may involve allocation changes, product redesign, improved utilisation or operating changes rather than a blanket tariff increase.

How Ace Parking can assist

Ace Parking can support property owners and asset managers with the operational and commercial analysis surrounding levy-affected parking, including utilisation analysis, tariff and product strategy, allocation reviews, operating-model assessment, technology review and parking performance reporting.

Discuss your parking operation with Ace Parking

Official sources

Readers should confirm the current position with the relevant state authority before relying on rates, boundaries, exemptions, concessions or licensing requirements.