Blue Mountains News

The Council decided this week to extend the registration period by two months, to Friday 1 December 2023.

Mayor, Cr Mark Greenhill, said: “We already have 32,000 permits processed – which is a fantastic response.  But we want to give the rest of the Blue Mountains community time to apply for their permits.”

• Apply for a permit online. Go to bmcc.nsw.gov.au/parking and click on ‘Apply for a Parking Permit’ to start.
• Call the Permit Hotline 1300 322 263 for assistance.
• Visit one of our Customer Contact Centres in Katoomba or Springwood. Please bring vehicle registration papers when visiting our Customer Contact Centres.

You can also make a Parking Permit Enquiry online.

Carer Permits are also available for FREE parking for those who live outside the Blue Mountains and care for a local resident, as well as for contractors who are temporarily working in the Blue Mountains.

Permits will continue to be available after the registration period ends.

Illegal parking, including exceeding existing regulated time limits, will continue to incur fines throughout the registration period.

The Citywide Visitor Pay Parking Scheme commenced in existing time restricted parking zones in town/village centres at Blackheath, Katoomba, Leura, Wentworth Falls and Lincoln’s rock in July.

The Council also endorsed this week the Parking Precincts Plan for visitor pay parking at key visitation sites at:

• Cahill’s Lookout, Katoomba
• Raymond Road within the Echo Point Precinct
• Katoomba Falls off-street parking areas, adjacent to Cliff View Lookout and Katoomba Cascades
• Leura Cascades
• Gordon Falls off-street parking areas and Olympian Parade, between Leura Mall and Lone Pine Avenue intersections.

Visitor Pay Parking at Wentworth Falls Lookout and Conservation Hut have been deferred so further investigations can take place, and until after National Parks and Wildlife Service complete works at Wentworth Falls Picnic Area.

The implementation of visitor pay parking at the Wentworth Falls Lake precinct will also be managed in line with multiple infrastructure projects currently planned.

The activation of parking technologies is helping to manage parking turnover in our town centres which, in turn, will help our local economy.

“The Blue Mountains World Heritage Area is one of the most visited destinations in the southern hemisphere, but currently most visitors do not contribute to the financial cost of managing the City,” Mayor Greenhill said.

“This plan means that visitors will help fund the critically-required renewal of services, facilities and infrastructure.”

Tourism in the Blue Mountains is experiencing a strong recovery since the pandemic, with a recent survey showing a 35 per cent increase visitors to the region.

Around 3.8 million domestic visitors came to the Blue Mountains in 2022, which is a 35 per cent increase on the previous year, according to results from the National Visitor Survey released by Tourism Research Australia.

Tourists were also reaching into their pockets, with domestic overnight spending up by 59 per cent and daytrips giving the local economy a $238 million boost (up by 38 per cent on the previous year).

Keep up to date on this important project for our City at here