Parking

Photo of cars in a covered carpark

Overview

Our parking and traffic laws exist to ensure the safe and fair use of our roads. For detailed information on traffic laws, see the VicRoads website.

Most streets and roads in Nillumbik are unrestricted, however some retail precincts and business areas have time-restricted parking.

Websites and apps such as Parkopedia provide useful information about parking locations.

Parking at Council Offices

Parking restrictions at the Civic Centre and other Council buildings are strictly enforced. Please observe the parking restrictions when you visit Council offices.

Restricted on-street parking

There are a number of different types of parking restrictions that may be introduced to regulate street parking in areas.

These include:

  • Time-restricted parking, for example, two-, three-, four- or five-hour parking restrictions
  • Permit parking
  • Special needs parking such as Loading and Bus Zones and Disabled areas
  • People with disabilities and commercial traders may be eligible for parking permits in time-restricted parking areas.

See a list of restricted parking spaces in Eltham.

Parking monitoring in Diamond Creek and Eltham

To support our local traders and ensure fair access to parking in the busy town centres of Eltham and Diamond Creek, we enforce parking time limits on Council land, as well as some private carparks. 

Overstaying in limited short-term carparks makes it frustrating for shoppers to find a park, and means traders miss out on business. Having spaces freed up close to the busy town centres makes shopping a better experience for all of us.

Council’s Community Safety Officers are often called on by traders to enforce parking limits so their customers and delivery drivers can access short-term parking.

From Monday 6 January 2025, we will be making changes to the monitoring of some carparks in Eltham and Diamond Creek.

  • 6-20 Luck Street Eltham: We will be enforcing existing 2-hour parking time limits using parking sensors
  • 67 Main Hurstbridge Road, Diamond Creek: Parking sensors will be used to monitor parking.
  • 906 Main Road, Eltham: Licence plate recognition technology will be introduced to monitor parking

Below are FAQs relating to the changes at each site, as well as general FAQs about digital parking monitoring. We’ve also included a list of locations where longer-term parking can be secured if you’re planning on visiting the town centres for more than two hours.

Tell me more about...
Parking at 6-20 Luck Street, Eltham (Aldi/Dan Murphy’s carpark)

Why is Council monitoring this carpark?

Council is supporting the owners of the carpark and the traders whose customers use the carpark, to ensure vehicles aren’t overstaying. When people park long-term in the carpark (e.g. to catch a train), it makes it difficult for others to get a park and becomes a barrier to supporting our local businesses.

What is a parking sensor and how does it work?

A parking sensor is a compact electronic device installed beneath a parking space. It detects when a vehicle enters or exits a parking bay. This information helps us understand how parking spaces are used in different parts of the Shire and alerts parking officers if a vehicle exceeds the time limit for a particular space.

Are the sensors accurate?

Yes, the sensors are highly accurate and undergo regular maintenance to ensure they accurately track vehicle movements. The sensors’ time is synchronised with a central server set to the Shire’s time zone, ensuring precise readings.

The use of parking sensors rather than tire-marking is a progressive and efficient approach to parking monitoring. Digitising the service provides for a safer environment for Community Safety Officers and other road users. 

Parking at 67 Main Hurstbridge Road, Diamond Creek (Coles carpark)

Why are you changing the way you monitor parking at this site?

Council currently enforces parking limits at this location with monitoring and tire marking. We will continue to support the owners of the carpark and the traders whose customers use the carpark, to ensure vehicles aren’t overstaying. When people park long-term in the carpark (e.g. to catch a train), it makes it difficult for others to get a park, and becomes a barrier to supporting our local businesses.

What is a parking sensor and how does it work?

A parking sensor is a compact electronic device installed beneath a parking space. It detects when a vehicle enters or exits a parking bay. This information helps us understand how parking spaces are used in different parts of the Shire. It alerts parking officers if a vehicle exceeds the time limit for a particular space.

Are the sensors accurate?

Yes, the sensors are highly accurate and undergo regular maintenance to ensure they accurately track vehicle movements. The sensors’ time is synchronised with a central server set to the Shire’s time zone, ensuring precise readings. 

Parking at 906 Main Road, Eltham (Coles carpark)

Why are you changing the way you monitor car parking at this site?

Council currently enforces parking limits at this location with monitoring and tire marking. We will continue to support the owners of the carpark and the traders whose customers use the carpark, to ensure cars aren’t overstaying. When people park long-term in the carpark (e.g. to catch a train), it makes it difficult for others to get a park and becomes a barrier to supporting our local businesses.

From 6 January 2025, we will monitor this carpark using a mixture of tire marking and a licence plate recognition (LPR) method.

How does licence plate recognition (LPR) work?

LPR vehicles scan, record, and capture images of a vehicle's location from any angle. LPR detects overstays, payment and ePermit status.

How accurate is LPR monitoring?

This process is highly accurate. It is similar to the traditional manual chalking method, but with the added benefit of being more reliable and efficient.

What about privacy concerns with LPR? What do you do with the images and how long are they kept?

The images captured by the LPR system are securely stored and used exclusively for parking management and enforcement purposes. The data is retained only for the period required to determine whether a car has overstayed. If no offence is detected, photos are deleted that day. LPR uses face blurring technology to further protect the community’s privacy.

General FAQs
Why are you changing the way you monitor car parking?

Digital parking monitoring (sensors and licence plate recognition) provide highly accurate data on parking usage, enable efficient parking management, encourage people not to overstay and improve the turnover of available, limited parking for other community members. 

How are fines issued when you use digital monitoring?

Infringement notices will still be placed on the windshield of the vehicle or handed to the driver, if the driver is present.

Refusal to accept a fine in person will result in the fine being posted.

How do I review/contest a fine?

Infringements can be paid via our website. You can also request a review of your infringement.

Why is Council patrolling private carparks?

Council is supporting the owners of carparks in our town centres and the traders whose customers use the carparks, to ensure vehicles aren’t overstaying.

When people park long-term in the carpark (e.g. to catch a train), it makes it difficult for others to get a park and becomes a barrier to supporting our local businesses. It also causes frustration for other visitors hoping to make a quick trip to the shops. 

What benefits will a digitised system bring?

Digital monitoring provides highly accurate data.

The use of parking sensors rather than tire-marking is a progressive and efficient approach to parking monitoring.

Digitising the service provides for a safer environment for Community Safety Officers and other road users. 

Can I move my car to another spot in the same parking lot after two hours?

You must leave the carpark and drive back in to find a spot to reset your parking time allowance.

How do you decide how much a parking fine costs?

The amount charged for parking fines is determined by the Victorian Government.

Council enforces these amounts but does not apply any discretionary fines.

You can view details about infringement amounts at: Penalties and values | Department of Justice and Community Safety Victoria

What about traders and employees in the business centres? Can they park longer?

Parking permits are available to traders and employees in:

  • The Eltham business zone
  • The Eltham Woolworths carpark
  • The Eltham Liquorland carpark
  • The Diamond Creek Plaza zone (Wensley Street)
  • The Diamond Creek Shopping Centre zone (George Street).

If you are a trader or employee, you can apply for a traders parking permit.

 

Unrestricted on-street parking

Most residential streets in Nillumbik have unrestricted on-street parking.

Anyone may park in a designated parking area at any time of the day. However, if a vehicle has not been moved in 14 days, it may be considered to be abandoned or derelict and may be issued a fine/infringement.

If a registered vehicle is left parked and unmoved for more than 60 days it may be towed away. A notice to the registered owner will be issued before any action is taken.

Vehicles greater than 7.5 metres in length or 4.5 tonnes in weight should not be parked on residential streets for longer than one hour.

Parking demand in residential areas is monitored and where the demand for parking is high, residents may be surveyed and on-street parking restrictions may be introduced. To request a review of parking in your area, contact Council’s Traffic and Transport team on 03 9433 3111 or nillumbik@nillumbik.vic.gov.au

Where you cannot park in Nillumbik

You cannot stop or leave a vehicle parked if the Road Safety Road Rules Victoria (2017) do not allow it.

The most common illegal parking situations in Nillumbik are parking:

  • for longer than the time allowed on the parking sign
  • in a permit zone where the correct permit is not displayed, or no permit is visible
  • double parking
  • in a school crossing 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 (facing opposite the direction of travel)
  • on a footpath, nature strip or reservation
  • in a no stopping zone
  • in a bus or transit lane
  • opposite continuous white lines

To find out more about how to park legally, visit the VicRoads website.

Motorcycle parking

You may legally park a motorcycle on the footpath. To park your motorcycle on a footpath:

  • Dismount and walk your motorcycle while you are on the footpath
  • Make sure your motorcycle is at least one motorcycle length out from the building line to allow free passage of pedestrians (this is important as people with a visual and/or physical impairment may use the building line for navigation)
  • Park at least one motorcycle wheel diameter back from the road kerb to allow pedestrians free access to and from the road and to parked vehicles (you can leave less space between your motorcycle and the kerb if you park next to a ‘No Stopping’ zone)

Do not park your motorcycle:

  • Where signs indicate that footpath parking is banned for motorcycles
  • Opposite any parking bay reserved for people with disabilities (marked with a wheelchair sign and symbol)
  • Where space is reserved for footpath activities such as street cafes
  • On or near service access points such as manhole covers, post boxes or rubbish bins
  • Near taxi ranks or bus and tram stops
  • In a spot that will obstruct other people’s access to a ticket machine or meter
  • On private property without permission from the property owner
  • In ‘No Stopping’ areas for motorcycles. 

Permit zones and trader's parking permits

A number of parking spaces in Eltham and Diamond Creek are reserved for owners and employees of local businesses.

Parking in these permit zones requires a trader's parking permit.

The permit zones are:

  • Eltham business zone
  • Eltham Woolworths car park
  • Eltham Liquorland car park
  • Diamond Creek Plaza zone - Wensley Street
  • Diamond Creek Station Shopping Centre zone - George Street

Apply for a trader's parking permit

Accessible parking permits

Accessible (disabled) parking permits are available for drivers or passengers with a disability and organisations that transport people with disabilities. 

Applications for Accessible Parking Permits are processed through the VicRoads Victorian Accessible Parking Permit Scheme.

Apply for an Accessible Parking Permit

Parking infringements

If you park illegally, or park for longer than specified on a parking sign, you may be issued with an infringement.

All parking restrictions in Victoria are set by State Government Legislation. When an infringement notice is issued, Council follows the process set out in the Infringements Act 2007.

Pay a parking fine

For more information including how to request a review, arranging a payment plan, and what happens to overdue fines, see Infringements.