The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), manager of the MCG precinct, has made the decision to remove pre-paid parking for the general public in Yarra Park on match days from Round 8 of the AFL Premiership Season.
After reviewing feedback received from fans and over the course of last weekend, the MCC will re-introduce the pay at the gate system on game days where Yarra Park is safe to be opened for parking (not available for MCG matches where a high crowd attendance is forecast or as a result of weather conditions).The pre-paid parking system will remain in place for accessibility (disability) permit holders after positive feedback was received from those patrons who appreciated being able to plan their journey and book parking in advance following an initial trial which began in 2022.
Patrons who hold accessibility (disability) permits will also have the option to pay at the Yarra Park entry gates.
Melbourne Cricket Club General Manager of Venue and Event Services Josh Eltringham said operations were reviewed as a result of patron feedback and staff observations of challenges across Round 7.
“I want to apologise to those fans who had a disappointing experience parking in Yarra Park last weekend,” Mr Eltringham said.
“We transitioned to fully pre-booked parking for the general public in Yarra Park for the first time, and unfortunately, this new model presented a range of unforeseen challenges that have since been reviewed.
“We will continue to carefully manage the parklands which means Yarra Park won’t open to the general public for fixtures where particularly large crowds are forecast or in the event of poor weather in an effort to maintain the condition of the park for all weekday users.
“The option to pre-purchase a Yarra Park parking ticket will remain in place for accessibility permit holders – a move that we introduced during the 2022 AFL season.
“For patrons who took a proactive approach and pre-purchased parking tickets for upcoming fixtures, we thank them for their willingness to adapt to our proposed changes. We will be refunding all pre purchased tickets to allow for a clean slate for all patrons going forward.”
Mr Eltringham said the MCC’s message remains consistent in encouraging all fans to plan their journey to the MCG ahead of time, particularly due to current public transport disruptions affecting patrons both arriving and exiting the precinct.
“We encourage all patrons to check updates to public transport and keep an eye on the MCG website where all the relevant match day information is regularly updated.”
Yarra Park car park opening schedule
| Date & Event |
Yarra Park Car Park Open Times |
General Public | Accessible Permit Holders |
| Saturday May 6 AFL Round 8 - Richmond v West Coast Eagles |
Gate 3: 10.30am Gate 5: 11.00am Gate 6: CLOSED Gate 7: 7.30am* |
Yes - limited parking available | Yes - limited parking available |
| Sunday May 7 AFL Round 8 - Collingwood v Sydney Swans |
NO PUBLIC PARKING AVAILABLE Gate 3: 12.00pm* Gate 5: 12.30pm* Gate 6: Closed Gate 7: 9.30am* |
No | Yes |
| Wednesday May 10 Sleep at the 'G |
Gate 3: 5.00pm-8.00pm Gate 5: Closed Gate 6: Closed Gate 7: Closed |
Yes | Yes |
| Friday May 12 AFL Round 9 - Richmond v Geelong Cats |
Gate 3: 4.00pm Gate 5: 4.30pm Gate 6: 5.00pm Gate 7: 1.30pm* |
Yes | Yes |
| Saturday May 13 AFL Round 9 - Hawthorn v Melbourne |
Gate 3: 1.30pm Gate 5: 2.00pm Gate 6: Closed Gate 7: 10.30am* |
Yes | Yes |
| Sunday May 14 AFL Round 9 - Collingwood v GWS Giants |
Gate 3: 1.30pm Gate 5: 2.00pm Gate 6: Closed Gate 7: 10.30am* |
Yes | Yes |
| Saturday May 20 AFL Round 10 - Essendon v Richmond |
NO PUBLIC PARKING AVAILABLE Gate 3: 1.00pm* Gate 5: 4.00pm* Gate 6: Closed Gate 7: 7.00am* |
No | Yes |
| Sunday May 21 AFL Round 10 - Carlton v Collingwood |
NO PUBLIC PARKING AVAILABLE Gate 3: 12.00pm* Gate 5: 12.30pm* Gate 6: Closed Gate 7: 9.30am* |
No | Yes |
| Saturday May 27 AFL Round 11 - Melbourne v Fremantle |
Gate 3: 10.30am Gate 5: 11.00am Gate 6: Closed Gate 7: 7.00am* |
Yes | Yes |
| Sunday May 28 AFL Round 11 - Richmond v Port Adelaide |
Gate 3: 10.30am Gate 5: 11.00am Gate 6: Closed Gate 7: 7.00am* |
Yes | Yes |
*Access is restricted to accredited and accessible permit holders only.
Parking in Yarra Park for AFL matches is set at $10 per vehicle and payment can only be made through debit or credit cards.
Parking in Yarra Park is not available for MCG matches where a high crowd attendance is forecast in order to allow for an uninterrupted and safe entry and exit from the stadium.
In the event of continual poor weather or heavy rains, the MCC may also close Yarra Park for parking to allow the heritage-listed parkland to recover and maintain its condition.
Up-to-date information about parking statuses is published on the MCG website mcg.org.au/parking and across the MCG social media channels.
For patrons planning on using public transport to travel to any upcoming matches at the MCG, please plan your journey at ptv.vic.gov.au.
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