Motorcycle parking will remain free in Wellington. 

Motorcycle parking fees will not be introduced.

How we got here

In May 2024, following consultation with the community, the Council decided to introduce motorcycle parking fees in the central city as part of the city's 10-year budget and Long-term Plan.

Feedback received in the representative survey, during public consultation on the Long-term Plan in April and May 2024, found:

• 43 percent supported the introduction of a fee and 32 percent opposed it
• Those supporting paid parking noted motorcycles paying for parking was more equitable
• Those opposing spoke of the benefits of reduced congestion by driving a motorcycle rather than taking another form of private transport.

The introduction of a parking fee for motorcycle parking in the central city aligns with Wellington's Parking Policy 2020. 

Many of the dedicated motorcycle parking areas operate at capacity in the central city, particularly during the week. Introducing a parking fee will encourage greater turnover and availability of parks. 

The benefits will be a more consistent approach to parking charges for motorcycles and motor vehicles, easier access to motorcycle parking bays in the central city through higher turnover of parks, and additional revenue towards the city's infrastructure and service costs. 

Motorcycle parking fee consultation

In November 2024 we undertook a second consultation, aiming to set a parking fee that is fair and reasonable, and invited feedback on the proposed fee.

We used parking data and listened to community feedback from the Long-term Plan process, to assess different options for motorcycle parking charges. 

The proposed motorcycle parking fee was:

• $1/hour parking in central city motorcycle bays
• Between 8am - 8pm, Monday - Sunday

The proposed fee structure was for the same hours and days that other motor vehicles are required to pay, to create consistency. The proposed fee was comparable to the charge for a similar amount of space used by a car park. 

Visit our options we considered page for more information on these.

We listened to public feedback on this proposal and presented options to Koata Hātepe, the Council's Regulatory Processes Committee, on Wednesday 9 April 2025 and to the Kōrau Tōtōpū Long-term Plan Finance and Performance Committee meeting on 22 May 2025. 

A decision on the fee was made at the Kōrau Tōtōpū Long-term Plan Finance and Performance Committee meeting on 22 May 2025. A fee of $1 per hour, Monday to Friday, 8am - 8pm, with a daily cap of $6, was decided. The meeting minutes are available here.

Following the 2025 local government elections, on 17 December 2025 the Te Taurapa Council Planning and Finance Committee agreed to revoke the decision by the previous Council's Kōrau Tōtōpū Long-Term Finance and Performance Committee to introduce a motorcycle parking fee. Motorcycle parking will remain free in Wellington. The meeting minutes are available here.

The outline on the map indicates the central city area within which motorcycle parking fees would apply. There are 68 motorcycle parking bays in the central city area, they are marked on the map. When viewing the map on desktop, click on the + and - symbols to zoom in and out.