Brisbane City Council now requires app payment at 2,483 of its roughly 9,000 metered spaces, prompting concern from older residents and seniors advocates.
More than one in four of Brisbane City Council's paid on-street parking spaces can now only be paid for through a mobile app, ABC News reported on 22 September 2026.
Council figures show 2,483 of about 9,000 metered spaces are app-only, with payments handled by two third-party providers, CellOPark and PayStay. The ABC reported that Brisbane is the only major Australian city where drivers are forced onto a digital-only option at some bays. In Auchenflower, around 60 per cent of paid spots are app-only.
Residents told the ABC that downloading an app for a one-off visit was frustrating, and raised concerns about older people, low-income drivers and the security risks of scanning QR codes on the street. Council on the Ageing Australia chief executive Patricia Sparrow said services "can't be digital only".
A council spokesperson said there were no plans to remove all parking meters, and that the physical meters would keep operating alongside the two app providers.
For drivers who park in the same area every day, the change is another reason to consider a fixed private car space arrangement, where access and payment are agreed up front rather than handled bay by bay through different apps.
Source: ABC News — More than one in four Brisbane council parking spots now pay by app only
Photo: Kgbo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Parking meters on Wickham Terrace, Brisbane (2013).