At a glance
- Where it applies
- The City of Whitehorse, including Box Hill, Blackburn, Mitcham, Forest Hill, Burwood and Nunawading
- Where you pay
- Mainly the streets around Box Hill and the Box Hill Hospital precinct, by coin, by card at the ticket machine, or by phone with the PayStay app
- Where it is usually free
- Most parking in Whitehorse, including unrestricted residential streets, says the council
- Time limits
- Enforced by Parking Service Officers and by more than 3,000 in-ground sensors; meter feeding is not permitted
- Who it’s for
- Drivers heading to Box Hill, Box Hill Hospital or a Whitehorse shopping strip who want to avoid a parking fine
- What to do now
- Read every sign for the bay, pay straight away where there is a ticket machine, and leave before the ticket or sign time ends
- Last checked
- Sunday 8 November 2026, against five Whitehorse City Council parking pages
- Not yet confirmed
- Ticket machine prices, the amount of a fine, and each bay’s time limit; the council pages do not list them
In Whitehorse, most parking is free, but you must pay immediately in the ticket machine areas around Box Hill and Box Hill Hospital, and the council fines drivers who overstay, according to its parking pages checked on 8 November 2026.
This guide pulls together what Whitehorse City Council says about where you can park, how to pay, how parking is monitored and which situations bring a fine. It does not list fine amounts or street prices, because the council pages do not.
Where can I park in Whitehorse?
The council describes three kinds of parking: unrestricted on-street, restricted on-street and off-street. In most cases parking is free, though drivers may need to pay in high-demand areas such as Box Hill and the Box Hill Hospital precinct.
| Type | What the council says |
|---|---|
| Unrestricted on-street | Most residential streets; anyone may park at any time of day. A registered vehicle left unmoved for more than 60 days may be towed, after a notice to the owner |
| Restricted on-street | Time limits of one, two, three or four hours, with or without ticket machines or in-ground sensors; permit parking; ticket machine areas; loading zones, bus zones and accessible parking |
| Off-street | Generally near shopping precincts, railway stations, schools and universities, hospitals and nursing homes; many are private and need a permit or paid ticket on the dashboard |
Vehicles longer than 7.5 metres or heavier than 4.5 tonnes need a permit to park on residential streets for more than one hour, and the council says permits are not generally given there.
Is there all-day parking in Box Hill?
Yes. The council lists several all-day off-street options in Box Hill: Watt Street, Ellingworth Parade, Station Street and the 835 Whitehorse Road car park. It also calls the Harrow Street Car Park a great option for people visiting, commuting or working in Box Hill. For the centre’s own car park, see the guide to Box Hill Central parking.
Parking at the Whitehorse Civic Centre, Nunawading library, Box Hill Town Hall and other council buildings is strictly enforced, the council says, and it publishes parking maps for the Civic Centre and the Town Hall.
How do the ticket machines and PayStay work?
Drivers in the streets around the Box Hill Metropolitan Activity Centre and the Box Hill Hospital precinct must buy a ticket from a machine. On the signs, an arrow beside the word Ticket points to the nearest machine. The machines take three kinds of payment: coin, card, or phone through the PayStay app.
- Pay immediately after you park.
- If you buy a ticket, display it face up on the passenger side of the dashboard so the details can be read from outside.
- Parking time starts when the vehicle stops in the space, not when you pay.
- Move your vehicle before the ticket or PayStay period ends, or before the sign’s maximum time, whichever comes first.
- For card payment, leave the card on the sensor until it registers success; the council compares it to a Myki card sensor.
- The ticket does not appear outside the machine; you put your hand into the dispenser to take it.
The council says it is the driver’s responsibility to buy a ticket. If a machine is faulty, you must get a ticket from a nearby machine or use PayStay. For other faults, call the service number printed on the machine and quote its identification number.
How does the council check whether I have overstayed?
Parking Service Officers patrol parking areas daily. They may mark the tyre of a vehicle in a time-restricted bay and return to see whether it has overstayed. The council has installed more than 3,000 in-ground sensors across Whitehorse, which record when a vehicle stops in a bay and when it leaves, even if the engine is running. When a vehicle exceeds the permitted time, a signal goes to the nearest patrolling officer, who issues a fine if the time has been exceeded.
The council says meter feeding is not permitted. It also says the sensors can detect that you have not moved your vehicle, and that you may receive an infringement if you buy a new ticket to replace an expired one without first moving. The council publishes sensor location maps for Box Hill and Mont Albert, Blackburn, Mitcham, Burwood and several other areas.
If you think a car is illegally parked, you can ask the council to investigate. Council investigates outside business hours only when arranged beforehand. The council says it cannot have an illegally parked car towed unless staff deem it abandoned. Dangerously parked vehicles should be reported to Victoria Police: Forest Hill Police Station on (03) 8847 3600 or Box Hill Police Station on (03) 8892 3200.
Where can’t I park in Whitehorse?
The council lists the most common illegal parking situations. You cannot stop or leave a vehicle where the Road Safety Road Rules Victoria (2017) do not allow it, and in Whitehorse the usual offences are parking:
- for longer than the sign allows;
- in a permit zone without the right permit displayed;
- double parked;
- in a school crossing zone (a No Stopping zone);
- too close to an intersection or pedestrian crossing;
- across a lane or private driveway;
- leaving less than 3 metres of road clear for traffic;
- on the wrong side of the road;
- on a footpath, nature strip or reservation;
- in a No Stopping zone or clearway;
- in a bus or transit lane;
- opposite continuous white lines.
No Stopping means no stopping at all, even to let someone out of the car. In a No Parking area you may stop for up to two minutes to set down or pick up a passenger, or to load or unload goods, and only if the driver stays within three metres of the vehicle. At school crossings, drivers who drop off students in a No Stopping area get an infringement by post.
What happens in a clearway?
The Department of Transport patrols clearways on major arterial roads in Whitehorse, and the towing company is appointed by the Department of Transport and Planning. A vehicle parked in a clearway during clearway times may be towed and impounded. The council is not involved in towing, but its officers can issue infringements in clearways, and the Department issues one if your vehicle is impounded. You can check whether your car was impounded on the Department’s Clearway Towing page. The council’s sign page adds that since 1 December 2020 all existing clearways on major roads within 20 kilometres of Melbourne’s CBD are tow-away zones.
Do parking signs apply on public holidays?
The council says a sign with a day of the week written on it, such as Mon–Fri, Sat or Sun, does not apply on a public holiday. That covers green signs, red signs, disability parking signs, loading zone signs, clearway signs and No Stopping signs. If the sign has a day on it, its time restrictions and fee requirements do not apply on a public holiday.
How do I avoid a parking fine?
The council’s tips are to read the parking signs, because more than one restriction may apply, and to think about how much time you need before choosing a time-restricted bay. It also says to park where the restrictions suit you, to park legally in unrestricted areas, and to display any paid ticket on the dashboard so the details can be seen from outside, or to pay with PayStay.
If you hold an accessible parking permit, the council’s separate permit page explains what each type allows in Whitehorse; the Box Hill Hospital parking guide summarises it. Motorcycles may legally be parked on the footpath if you dismount and walk the motorcycle on the footpath and leave room for pedestrians; the council lists where this is not allowed, including opposite disabled bays, near bus and tram stops and in No Stopping areas.
Sources
- Whitehorse City Council: Parking
- Where You Can Park Your Vehicle in Whitehorse
- How Parking is Monitored
- Where You Cannot Park in Whitehorse
- Avoid a parking fine or your car being towed
- Parking Signs and Road Rules
Featured image: Box Hill CBD buildings looking east at the intersection of Whitehorse Road and Elgar Road (photo: Philip Mallis / CC BY-SA 2.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Whitehorse City Council, the Department of Transport and Planning or PayStay. Rules can change; check the signs and the council’s pages.