June 8, 2026 — 1:30pm
It may seem as if it’s impossible to find a car park on the street.
But as a recent Grattan Institute report makes clear, Australia has an oversupply of parking, both on streets and in parking lots. Across five of the state capitals, most postcodes have more on-street spaces than there are registered cars.
That’s great for drivers, given most on-street parking outside the inner city is free and has no time limit. Many spaces are used by locals with a driveway or garage who find it more convenient to park on the street.
But abundant street parking comes at a cost. Streets jammed with parked cars look bad. They also remove space for bikes, e-bikes and scooters.
