New commercial bus parking permit system at Royal Botanic Garden

All commercial tourist buses with 13 seats or more parking on Mrs Macquaries Road and Hospital Road at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney.

There are a range of permit options to suit operators’ parking frequencies:
Daily Permit: $75 incl. GST
Seasonal Permit: $1,500 + GST
Annual Permit: $4,500 + GST

A daily permit allows you to park in the metered areas on Mrs Macquaries Rd and Hospital Rd on the date you purchased the permit from 12am – 11.59pm.

A seasonal permit is for 3 months. You can determine the 3 month date period that best suits your business operations.

An annual permit is for 12 months. You can determine when you begin the permit period that best suits your business operations.

School buses and non-commercial community groups who have registered visits are exempt and will continue to use the existing signage system.

Vehicles without a valid permit will be fined $275 under the ‘Parking contrary to sign’ rule. Enforcement begins March 2026.

Mrs Macquaries Road is a key access point for visitors and requires significant maintenance. The permit system ensures commercial operators contribute fairly to maintaining this shared public asset. The new system will ensure an improved visitor experience thanks to well-maintained access roads and infrastructure. It provides greater visibility of group arrivals and schedules, enabling us to explore additional ways to enhance the visitor experience for operators and their guests such as welcome activities or tailored experiences. 

Funds contribute to maintaining safe and reliable access for visitors and operators, and supporting initiatives that enhance the overall visitor experience.

As Australia’s oldest scientific institution, we are custodians of more than $1.2 billion in state significant cultural, heritage and botanical collections. Your parking permit is ultimately helping us save plants, protect species, and grow a greener future.

Seasonal and annual permits are available here.
Daily permits will be payable at the parking meter on the day, available from March 2026.

Yes, the seasonal and annual permits can and should be obtained in advance of your visit. Please allow up to 2 weeks for processing.

Please allow up to 2 weeks for annual and seasonal permits to be approved. Daily permits are approved on the day of the visit. 

Yes, every commercial bus that parks on Mrs Macquaries Road and Hospital Road requires an individual permit that is linked to its unique number plate. If you have multiple buses visiting in high frequency, we encourage you to get in contact with the Botanic Gardens of Sydney tourism team to discuss [email protected]. 

Any vehicle with 13 seats or greater stopped or parked within the metered parking zones is required to hold a valid commercial bus permit, regardless of the amount of time the vehicle is stopped or parked, vehicles with less than 12 seats are required to pay the meter fee in the same circumstances. Buses that wish to drop-off or pick-up passengers may continue to do so in the existing Bus Zones signposted and located on Mrs Macquaries Road and Art Gallery Road. Drivers must comply with the rules for Bus Zones (Pick-up/Drop-off only, vehicles are not permitted to stand or park in these zones unless passengers are actually engaged in entering or exiting the vehicle). 

Yes. Under the NSW legislation, there is no distinction between ‘stopping’ and ‘parking’. If a vehicle is stopped within a metered or regulated zone, it is considered parked, and a valid bus parking permit is required (whether or not the driver leaves the vehicle). 

Vehicles with fewer than 13 seats will continue to use the existing parking meter system.

Seasonal and annual permits will be available from December 2025. Daily permits can be purchased at the meter from March 2026. Enforcement begins March 2026.

Yes, key industry bodies including Tourism Australia, Tourism & Transport Forum, Destination NSW, Australian Tourism Export Council, and major operators have been engaged and will continue to be informed.

Responsibility for Mrs Macquaries Road, Art Gallery Road and Hospital Road sits with the Botanic Gardens of Sydney.

The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Act 1980 establishes the Trust (trading as Botanic Gardens of Sydney) as the controlling entity for the Royal Botanic Garden and The Domain, including these roads.

Under the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Regulation 2020, the Trust has authority to regulate how these roads are used, including the movement, stopping and parking of vehicles, as well as their general management and maintenance.

Botanic Gardens of Sydney tourism team [email protected]