Changes proposed for car parking fees in city

It could soon cost more to park your car in Invercargill, with fee changes proposed for both off and on-street parking.

Public consultation on Invercargill City Council’s 2026/2027 Fees and Charges schedule opened on 25 March.

The proposed changes included a 15 percent increase to on-street hourly parking fees. Meanwhile, off-street parking hourly fees had been standardised, resulting in most rates being increased by approximately 30 percent to achieve alignment.

The proposed changes would see on-street parking fees increased from $2.80 to $3.30 an hour, while off-street parking would rise to $2.60 an hour.

Invercargill City Council Infrastructure and Growth Committee Chair, Councillor Alex Crackett, said members of the community were encouraged to share their feedback on the proposed changes.

“The cost of maintaining parking infrastructure has increased, and pricing needs to reflect the real cost of providing parking services within our community,” she said.

“We’re aiming for a pricing system that is financially sustainable, without placing additional pressure on general rates.

“We all want to find the right balance between supply and demand, so that people can access the businesses and retailers that keep our community thriving. It’s up to our community to take a look at the changes we’ve proposed, and let us know if they think we’ve got that balance right.”

Council Group Manager Finance and Assurance Patricia Christie said on-street parking revenue at 31 December, 2025 was ahead of the previous financial year, while off-street parking revenue was currently in line with 2025/2026, indicating a five percent drop in demand for off-street parking.

Council had proposed keeping monthly and daily off-street parking charges the same as the previous financial year. The daily 30-minute limit for free parking was also unchanged, she said.

Council reviewed its Fees and Charges schedule each year. For 2026/2027, the majority of its fees were proposed to increase by between 5 and 15 percent: a reflection of rising service delivery costs, including inflation and corporate overheads to support the delivery of services within the community.

Other increases proposed for the upcoming financial year included a 10 percent rise in fees to visit Splash Palace, and bus fees were also proposed to rise by between 10 and 14 percent.

Parks and Recreation fees were also set to rise by between 10 and 15 percent, while two new fees for the Bluff Boat Ramp – an annual commercial permit fee, and a club use discount – were proposed to be introduced. Meanwhile, a 15 percent increase for Libraries meeting room hire for commercial and private events was proposed, while solid waste fees were set to rise by between 10 and 18 percent.

Submissions on the proposed fees and charges schedule could be made in-person at Splash Palace, Invercargill Public Library, the Bluff Service Centre, and Te Hīnaki – Civic Building.

Further information and online submissions could also be made at letstalk.icc.govt.nz

Council was scheduled to adopt its 2026/2027 Fees and Charges schedule in June.