A quick guide to parking in Freo

We’ve pulled together a handy guide to answer common questions like why we charge for parking, where you can find parking and how you can enjoy free parking as a resident or ratepayer.

WHERE CAN I PARK?

There’s plenty of parking in Freo!

Car parks are mainly located around the edges of the CBD and only a short walk from your destination.

There are about 1000 street bays, around 2300 in the City’s owned off-street carparks, plus about 1700 more are provided by Fremantle Ports and commercial parking companies.

In all, that’s about 5000 spots to park. But which to choose? The key is knowing what sort of visit you want to have.

If it’s just a quick visit, there are street bays on High Street where you can park free for 30 minutes.

If you need one, two or three hours parking, you can find that at ticket parking on other street bays or you can choose one of the many off-street carparks.

Rates vary but it’s possible to park all day at a City carpark for $9.50 or $8.50 using PayStay.

Check out the full map of parking locations in Fremantle.

WHY IS PARKING CHARGED FOR?

Fremantle isn’t just a shopping centre surrounded by bitumen.

It’s a vibrant city, with amenities and services that cost money to maintain.

People come from all over to enjoy our unique port city and parking fees are one way for visitors to contribute to the City’s upkeep and share the load with ratepayers.

If the City didn’t charge for parking, rates would need to go up about 15 per cent to compensate!

The other effect of free parking is with visitors who use it as a carpark to often travel elsewhere.

Parking fees and time limits keep car bays turning over to make way for the next visitors.

SAVE WITH PAYSTAY

The PayStay app is the easiest and most convenient way to pay for parking in Fremantle.

Simply download the app on your smart phone and press ‘start’ when you park and ‘stop’ when you leave.

That way you only pay for the parking time you used.

Plus, by using the app, you’ll save 20 cents per hour at off-street carparks and 10 cents per hour in street bays.

FREE CBD PARKING FOR RESIDENTS AND RATEPAYERS

As a resident or ratepayer, you can apply for a Free After Three parking permit to enjoy free on-street parking in the CBD between:

• 9–11am (permit holders must stick to the posted time limits such as 30 minutes, 1 hour or 2 hours)

• 3–5pm (permit holders must stick to the posted time limits such as 30 minutes, 1 hour or 2 hours)

• 5pm–9am (no time limits apply)

Hilton locals Chantelle and Frank applied for their free parking permit back in September 2020 and love using it to visit some of their favourite places in Freo.

“Two months after building our house in Hilton, our neighbour Regs told us about the free resident parking permit—an added bonus to what was an already exciting move to Fremantle,” Chantelle said.

“Signing up was a breeze. It's a matter of downloading the form from the council site, filling it out and emailing it back.

“We love heading into Freo. Our favourite place to grab smashed avo brunch is Duck Duck Bruce and for dinner it’s a toss up between a Saag Paneer from Lions and Tigers or a burger from Short Order.”

Click here for more info and to apply.

GET ON YOUR BIKE!

Not only is riding good for your health and the environment, but it’s also good for your pocket by saving on fuel, car maintenance and the cost of parking.

Riding your bike also frees up car bays for people who may need it more than you.

Bike racks are conveniently located around the CBD, including Walyalup Koort, so you can park up, lock up and go explore.