Along with beautiful beaches on our doorstep comes a high demand for parking on our beachfront. During peak times drivers are searching and waiting for parking, which can make finding a spot difficult and cause congestion.

We’re rolling out new parking sensors to make parking at popular beachfront locations easier and more accessible than ever before.

The new parking sensors will be installed beneath the surface of the road and can sense when a vehicle enters or leaves each spot. This information is then sent to the NSW Government Park’nPay App, allowing drivers to use the app to check how many spots are available before setting off to the beach.

People with a disability will also be able to find accessible parking in Council carparks thanks to the new Park’nPay Accessibility Portal recently unveiled by the state government. Council will be part of this initiative, with sensors for accessible parking spots being rolled out later this year.

As well as checking parking availability on the Northern Beaches, the Park’nPay app also allows drivers to pay for and manage parking within 14 additional council areas across the state. This makes the app an exceptionally handy tool for any NSW driver.

The sensors are currently being installed at Shelly Beach and will also be rolled out over the coming months at Little Manly, North Steyne, South Steyne, Clontarf and Sandy Bay Road.

Sensors at all locations will be installed and operational by mid-2023, ready to make parking a breeze in the peak summer months.  

The tool is all about giving drivers live information so they can make informed parking choices.

Tips for parking at the beach

If beach parking is already full, drivers can try:

• altering their trips by visiting at a different time
• heading to a different beach
• parking away from beachfront
• opting to take public transport.