Joondalup City Centre Parking 2026: First 30 Minutes Free, $2 an Hour, 2-Hour Cap and Free Weekends (Joondalup, WA)

Parking in the Joondalup city centre (WA) costs $2 an hour in the inner area, with the first 30 minutes of on-street parking free and a 2-hour cap, and it is free on weekends and public holidays. That is what the City of Joondalup’s own parking pages say as of 7 November 2026. The condition on the free time is that you only get it if you start a parking session, either in the EasyPark app or at an on-street meter.

This guide pulls the rules from the City of Joondalup’s parking pages and its published fees and charges PDF. It covers where the free time applies, what the paid areas cost, how the pay-by-plate meters work, which rules to check, and what happens if you get an infringement. Nothing here comes from a third-party parking site.

Is parking free in Joondalup?

Sometimes, and the City sets out exactly when. It lists three kinds of free parking:

• The first 30 minutes on the street. The City says it now provides 30 minutes free on-street parking in the inner part of the city centre. It points drivers to its Meter locations map for the exact streets.
• Unpaid bays at City facilities. Unpaid parking and ACROD (accessible) bays are available at many City facilities, including community spaces, libraries, parks and along the coastline.
• Weekends and public holidays. All street parking and open-air car parks are free on weekends and public holidays, with no time restrictions.

The City is clear about the condition on the first one: drivers must start a parking session in the EasyPark app or at an on-street cash or card meter to use the free time. If you park and walk off without starting a session, you have not used the free 30 minutes, and a short visit can still end in an infringement.

How much does it cost to park in the Joondalup city centre?

The City has simplified its fees. In the inner city centre it charges $2 an hour, with the first 30 minutes free and a 2-hour time cap. In the outer city areas it charges $8 a day on the street, or $5 a day in an open-air car park. The City also says the current fees stay unchanged with the new meters, so the move to pay-by-plate machines did not raise prices.

The City’s fees and charges PDF (last updated June 2025) gives the same figures in a table:

Where	Hourly	Daily	Weekly
On street, short term (15 minutes to 2 hours maximum)	$2.00	No daily fee	Not listed
On street, all-day parking	$2.00	$8.00	$40.00
Open-air car parks (Central Walk T1, Central Park West P8, Collier Pass P9, Davidson Terrace P4, McLarty Avenue P1 and P2, Lawley Court T3)	$2.00	$5.00	$25.00
Reid Promenade multistorey car park	$2.00	$8.00	Not listed

The City says it has seven open-air car parks in the city centre and that they cost $2 an hour or $5 a day, which matches the seven car parks named in the PDF. The PDF also lists monthly Reid Promenade reserved bays: $180 a month for a Premium bay with 24-hour access and $130 a month for a Standard bay.

One point to read carefully: the PDF does not mention the free first 30 minutes. The City’s web page does, and it is the more recent description, so check the signs and the Meter locations map on the day. The City itself says drivers must check parking signage and understand the fees and restrictions before parking.

How do the Joondalup parking meters work?

The City’s meters are now solar-operated, ticketless, pay-by-plate machines. There is no ticket to put on the dashboard. The City gives these steps:

1. Park your car and note your registration number, then enter it on the meter.
2. Use the +/- buttons or the slider on the screen to choose how long you intend to park, up to the maximum allowed.
3. Tap your phone, credit card or debit card, complete the payment and go.

Because there is no ticket, the City says it uses licence plate recognition (LPR) technology in its vehicles to monitor parking time, and field officers can also search plate numbers in the parking system. The City also publishes a “How to use a pay-by-plate parking meter” guide as a PDF.

The City answers a set of common questions on its parking locations page. The ones that matter most to a driver:

Question	The City’s answer
Do I have to use the meter closest to my car?	No, provided the meter is in the same street or car park where you parked. A meter outside that area may charge the wrong fee and you may be infringed.
Can I move to another bay with time left?	Yes, as long as the new bay is in the same parking zone. If you move to a different zone, start a new session.
Can I check how long I have left?	Yes. Enter your plate number at any machine in the same parking zone.
Can I get a receipt?	Yes. Choose “Yes” on the screen, then scan the QR code, or note the code and visit my-receipt.com.
Can I get a refund for unused time?	No. The City cannot refund unused parking time.
Where can I pay with cash?	Most areas have at least one cash-accepting meter, but most meters are cashless and some are card-only. The Meter locations map shows which is which.
Are there extra fees for card payments?	Your bank may charge a fee for credit card or PayPass payments. Check with your card provider.
I typed the wrong plate.	If you have not paid yet, cancel the transaction on the screen.

The City says EasyPark remains available citywide and recommends it as a flexible way to pay. With the app you do not need to walk to a meter at all, which is one reason the City reduced the number of meters.

Where can I park all day in Joondalup?

The City says all-day on-street parking is available throughout the outer city centre, and that several car parks offer parking from hourly through to long term. For all-day parking the figures are $8 on the street, $5 in an open-air car park and $8 in the Reid Promenade multistorey car park (fees PDF, June 2025).

Reid Promenade is described as a multistorey, secure car park with hourly and daily ticket parking and monthly parking permits. For regular users, the City offers two monthly permit types:

• Premium: secure 24-hour access to an allocated bay in the private parking area, through a separate entry and exit gate.
• Reserved: access from 6am to 8pm on weekdays (except public holidays) to any bay in the reserved bay area.

The City says reserved and premium bays are being moved to its ePermit system. Applications opened on Monday 24 November 2025 through the ePermits portal, and bays are no longer invoiced in advance or by calendar month. A bay starts on the date of approval, when payment is taken from the nominated card, and it renews automatically until you turn off auto-renew in the portal. For questions, the City lists the Parking Projects Officer at info@joondalup.wa.gov.au or 9400 4000.

Which parking rules should I check?

The City lists a short checklist for avoiding an infringement: read and understand the signs, check the times you may park, park inside the bay lines and in the area your payment covers, pay at a machine or in an app where required, display a valid permit where one is needed, and allow enough time to get back before the session ends.

It also publishes rules for particular vehicles:

Vehicle	The City’s rule
Heavy vehicles (over 4.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass) and long vehicles (over 7.5 metres)	Cannot park on a carriageway, verge or in a car park for more than one hour, and must be actively picking up or setting down goods, or be in a designated truck bay for that hour.
Unattached caravans, boats and trailers	Cannot be stopped or parked on a road, verge or car park at any time.
Caravans and trailers attached to a vehicle	May stop or park on a road, verge or car park under the normal restrictions.
Accessible (ACROD) permit holders	If no accessible bay is free, may park in a standard bay and still receive the concessions. The permit must be current.

Residential streets work differently. In residential permit areas, the City runs an electronic ePermit system, and the City says residents and visitors parking there must have their vehicle registration activated on a valid ePermit. Each property is entitled to two free ePermits and one additional paid ePermit. The City says the fee waiver on the third permit ended on 30 June 2026, after which the standard fee of $100 per 12 months applies. If you are visiting a house in a permit area, ask the resident to add your plate.

What happens if I get a parking infringement in Joondalup?

The City uses an online self-service portal called IMaaS where you can view, appeal and pay City-issued infringements. You can view and pay without registering an account, but to track or appeal an infringement, or to nominate another driver, you must register. The City says infringements are usually available online from 10am on the business day after issue.

When	What happens
Within 28 days of the issue date	Pay the infringement, or lodge an appeal with supporting documents.
After 14 days	A Notification of Infringement is issued.
A further 28 days later	A Final Demand Notice is issued, and it includes a late fee.
Still unpaid	The matter is referred to the Fines Enforcement Registry.

The City warns that if you have not received a Notification or a Final Demand, you should not assume you have nothing to pay. Besides the portal, you can pay in person at the City of Joondalup, 90 Boas Avenue, Joondalup WA 6027, or by cheque posted to PO Box 21, Joondalup WA 6919 with the infringement number. The City’s phone number is 9400 4000.

Which appeals does the City reject?

The City lists common appeal reasons and says it will not withdraw the infringement for these three:

• You urgently had to use the toilet. The City says this is not a medical emergency.
• You were late back to your vehicle because an appointment, work or another commitment ran over time. The City says delays like these are common and you must allow for them when you buy your parking time.
• You misread or did not understand the sign. The City says the driver is responsible for finding and following all signs and information.

An appeal must be lodged within 28 days of the issue date, backed by documents such as a valid permit or proof of payment. For parking infringements, the appeal must come from the driver at the time. If you have not heard back, the City says not to assume the matter has been withdrawn; contact it to check.

Quick answers

Question	Answer
Is Joondalup parking free on Saturday?	Yes. Street parking and open-air car parks are free on weekends and public holidays, with no time restrictions.
How long can I stay in the inner city centre?	Two hours, under the City’s 2-hour cap.
What is the cheapest all-day option?	$5 a day in an open-air car park, against $8 on the street.
Do I need a ticket?	No. The meters are ticketless and pay-by-plate.
Can I use cash?	At the cash-accepting meters shown on the Meter locations map; most meters are cashless.

Sources

• City of Joondalup — Parking locations (free parking, fees, meters, FAQs; checked 7 November 2026)
• City of Joondalup — Parking fees and charges (PDF, last updated June 2025)
• City of Joondalup — Parking restrictions
• City of Joondalup — Parking, permits and payments
• City of Joondalup — Infringements and fines

Featured image: Lakeside Joondalup looking towards Joondalup railway station (photo: Orderinchaos / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the City of Joondalup. Fees and rules can change; check the City’s pages and the signs at the car park before you park.