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2021 congestion levy year

Public car park owners were not eligible for a part-year concession for the 2021 congestion levy year as a result of the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 Government Directions.

Private car park owners may be eligible for a part-year concession for the 2021 congestion levy year as a result of restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 Government Directions that were in force for 82 days from 6 August 2020 until 26 October 2020.

Part-year concession

There are different conditions that apply to parking spaces located in public and private car parks in relation to claiming a part-year concession.

A parking space located in either a public or private car park may be eligible for a concession if it was exempt or did not exist as a parking space for part of the year preceding the assessment year. A parking space is considered to have ceased to exist if it has been converted to serve another function permanently. For example, during the year, a number of parking spaces were permanently converted into a garden to serve as a break-out or lunch area for employees, those parking spaces are considered to have ceased to exist.

A private car park owner can also apply for a concession on a parking space if it was not capable of being used as a parking space for any part of the preceding year. A parking space in a private car park that has been converted to serve some other purpose for a short period of time, may be considered as not capable of being used as a parking space for that period. For example, where parking spaces are used to operate as a farmers’ market, they are not capable of being used for parking cars (because of the presence of tents and stalls) during the operation hours of market. In addition, a private car park owner is only eligible for a concession on a parking space if it was an exempt parking space, not capable of being used or did not exist as a parking space for more than 30 days in the preceding year. The 30 days do not have to be consecutive.

Private car park

Example

A private car park is undergoing building works and a parking space is temporarily unable to be used as a parking space due to the presence of construction equipment. Therefore, a part-year concession may apply.

Public car park

Example

In the final six months of 2021, construction of office space started over 20 parking spaces in a public car park. A concession may apply for those six months in the 2022 levy year, with the result that the levy on that space is halved.

If you believe that you are entitled to claim a levy concession, please refer to our further details about this process.

Exemptions

You may claim an exemption if a parking space is exempt for a full calendar year. A parking space may be exempt if it is either:

  • owned by a specific class of owner, and/or
  • used for a particular purpose.

If a parking space is only exempt for part of the calendar year, you may be eligible for a part-year concession as set out above.

The available exemptions from congestion levy are as follows.

Residential parking

A car parking space used exclusively by a resident to park their car while they are at home is exempt.

The exemption applies whether the parking space is owned by the resident or leased. A resident who leases a parking space needs to ask the owner of the parking space to claim an exemption on their behalf.

The exemption does not apply if a resident leases their parking space to a daily commuter who commutes to the CBD or for another non-residential purpose.

For more information, please refer to our page about renting out a parking space.

Guest parking at hotels, apartments or similar

If parking is provided by a hotel, serviced apartment or club guests in conjunction with their accommodation, the parking spaces are treated as being for residential purposes and are exempt.

The exemption only applies to parking spaces used exclusively by overnight guests. If a parking space is used by people who are not staying overnight, such as conference attendees, the exemption does not apply.

Parking for maintenance services and loading bays

A parking space is exempt if it is provided free of charge and used exclusively by a person who is:

  • providing maintenance services to the owner or occupier of the premises on which the parking space is located, or
  • engaged in the loading or unloading of goods or passengers.

Visitor parking

A parking space is exempt if it is used exclusively by:

  • clients, patients or consultants of the person who provides the parking space (whether that is the owner of the space or a person who controls the parking space under an agreement with the owner), or
  • a person who is visiting the premises on which the parking space is located, as long as the premises are not the person’s usual place of business or work.

The exemption does not apply if the person providing the parking space charges visitors a fee for parking in the space.

Example

A medical practice has designated parking spaces for the exclusive use of visitors and patients of the medical practice and the parking spaces are made available free of charge. These spaces would be exempt. However, if staff of the medical practice or visitors of nearby businesses use these parking spaces, the visitor parking exemption will not apply.

Hospital visitor parking

This exemption only applies to parking spaces that are owned by or leased to a hospital that are used exclusively for the parking of a motor vehicle by hospital patients and their visitors. The exemption will apply even where a fee is charged for parking in the space.

This exemption will not apply to parking spaces used by employees of a hospital, although other exemptions may apply.

Parking spaces owned by particular organisations

A parking space is exempt if it is owned by one of the following types of organisations:

  • municipal councils
  • religious bodies
  • charitable or public benevolent institutions
  • hospitals
  • universities
  • libraries
  • museums.

The exemption does not apply if a fee is charged for parking in the space.

Parking spaces owned by consulates and consular employees

A parking space is exempt if it is owned by a consulate, a consular officer, a consular employee or a family member residing in the same house as that person.

Parking for emergency vehicles

A parking space is exempt if it is set aside or used exclusively for parking by:

  • police vehicles
  • ambulances
  • fire service units
  • State Emergency Service (SES) units
  • Australian Defence Force vehicles, while members are on march or duty
  • vehicles being used for emergency services under authority of an Act or the state.

The parking space can be provided by any person or organisation.

Example

A major sporting venue sets aside parking spaces for the exclusive use of police vehicles.

The vehicles must be registered in the name of the emergency service for an exemption to apply. The exemption does not apply to vehicles owned by employees of an emergency service. The exemption does not apply if a fee is charged for parking in the space.

Parking for people attending special events

This exemption only applies to parking spaces or an area which is used exclusively for the parking, without charge, of a motor vehicle in conjunction with a particular event, and at all other times is not available for parking.

Disabled parking

A parking space is exempt if it is set aside or used exclusively for parking by persons displaying a disabled person's parking authority in their vehicle. The parking permit must be issued under clause 2 of Schedule 11 to the Local Government Act 1989 or clause 3 of Schedule 4 to the Road Management Act 2004.

Parking for shift workers

The exemption for shift workers applies to parking spaces used exclusively by employees working shifts in a business that operates 24 hours a day on weekdays. The exemption does not cover spaces used by employees working regular hours within the business.

Where only part of a business operates 24 hours a day, in order for the exemption to apply, the parking spaces must be used solely by employees working shifts in that part of the business that operates 24 hours a day.

Example

A bank has an IT department and a foreign exchange desk, both of which operate 24 hours a day. While the bank’s overall business is not a 24-hour operation, parking spaces used exclusively by employees of the IT department and the foreign exchange desk would qualify for the exemption, provided they are employed on shifts. However, the exemption would not apply to parking spaces used by banking staff who only work during business hours, or work in other areas of the organisation that do not operate 24 hours a day.

The exempt spaces must only be used by employees working shifts, for the purpose of attending work of the business which operates 24 hours a day, and not for any other purpose.

Parking for fleet vehicles

A parking space is exempt if it is used exclusively for overnight parking of fleet vehicles.

Fleet vehicles are vehicles provided by an employer that are made available for staff or members of an organisation and are used in the normal operations of a business. It is possible for an organisation to have a single fleet vehicle.

Fleet vehicles do not include cars which are assigned to individuals as their personal vehicles. However, the exemption still applies to a parking space used to park a fleet vehicle which is occasionally taken home by an employee.

Bus layovers

A parking space is exempt if it is used exclusively for parking passenger buses while they are not in service.

Car sales display spaces, car service spaces or car hire spaces

A parking space is exempt if it is used exclusively for displaying or storing vehicles on the premises which are for sale or hire. The exemption does not apply to parking spaces used by employees of the car sales or car hire business for parking of personal vehicles while they are at work.

A parking space is also exempt if it is used exclusively for parking vehicles which are being serviced or repaired on the premises, or on adjoining premises. The exemption does not apply to parking spaces which are used by employees of the car servicing business for parking of personal vehicles while they are at work.

Parking in the Melbourne and Olympic parks

An exemption applies to parking spaces in a public car park made available to the general public on a casual basis in the Melbourne and Olympic parks.

Parking in the Yarra Park Reserve, at Melbourne Zoo, and at Abbotsford Convent

An exemption applies to parking spaces in the Yarra Park Reserve and at Melbourne Zoo and parking spaces on land within 200 metres of the zoo.

An exemption also applies to land owned by the Abbotsford Convent Foundation.

If you believe that you are entitled to claim an exemption, please refer to our further details about this process.

Last modified: 15 August 2023
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