Lane Cove Council owns or operates several car parking facilities in Lane Cove and St Leonards. They have chosen to use a ticketless parking system at these car parking facilities. The ticketless system relies on number plate recognition. The exception to this rule is the above-ground car park behind Harris Farm Markets Lane Cove.
Each Car park has a free period before you are required to pay for parking.
The car parking facilities also do not have boom gates (other than Little Street Car Park). So you can drive out and not know you have exceeded the free time limit if you exit via the wrong lane. You will only know you have failed to pay when you receive a fine from State Revenue.
At the Harris Farm Markets Lane Cove car park, paper tickets are no longer issued, and you will only know you have been fined when you receive an infringement notice from State Revenue NSW.
Number Plate Recognition Systems are Not 100% Accurate.
There will always be issues arising when using number plate recognition systems. These issues could be power outages, power brownouts, number plate holders obscuring numbers, or problems with the camera.
In the Cove asked NSW State Revenue to advise the fines issued since January 2023 and the fines cancelled since January 2023.
A spokesperson for Revenue NSW provided the following information:
Total parking fines issued by Lane Cove Council since 1 January 2023 for the following carparks:
- Lane Cove Market Square 209
- The Canopy 482
- Little Street Carpark 10
A total number of parking fines cancelled by LCC since 1 January 2023 for the following carparks:
- Lane Cove Market Square 8
- The Canopy 31
- Little Street Carpark 1
So how do you ensure you don’t receive a fine in the mail (for the car parks that use the number plate recognition system)?
Tip 1 – Become Familiar with the Free Parking Time Limits
The Canopy P1 Purple Level – Express Parking
One hour is free, and then parking fees apply.
Only park on this level if you are sure you will be leaving within the hour. Cameras are on the following levels, so you cannot park for one hour in P1 and then park for another three hours in P2 – P4.
The Canopy P2 – P4 Levels
Three hours are free, and then parking fees apply.
There is an early bird option for the Canopy (see below).
Lane Cove Market Square
Three hours are free on all levels, and then parking fees apply. Except for a few spots on P1, which are 15 minutes only for drop off and pick up for Lane Cove Public School Parents.
Little Street Car Park
Three hours are free on all levels, and then parking fees apply.
Lane Cove Central (aka Harris Farm)
Two hours are free on all levels, and then parking fees apply.
St Leonards Central Car Park
Two hours are free on all levels, and then parking fees apply. The entrance to this car park is via Lithgow Street, St Leonards.
Tip 2 – Know That Time Accumulates If You Leave and Enter the Same Carpark Again Within the Hour
Time limits apply per entry. The only exception is that time will accumulate if you enter a car park within an hour of leaving the car park.
Tip 3 – If in Doubt – Exit Via the Lane That Has a Pay Machine.
If you are unsure if you have exceeded the free time period, always exit using the lane with a pay machine. Slow down so the cameras can read your number plate, and the device will display a sign advising you if you have paid.
Tip 4 – Always Check the Lane Cove Parking Website if You Think You Have Exceeded the Free Parking Time Limits
If you think you have exceeded the time limit, always go online and enter your car’s licence plate number and see if there are any outstanding payments. If you make a payment or are advised that you do not have to pay, take a screenshot for evidence.
ITC recommends you do this even if the payment machine at the exit has displayed a screen stating no payment has been required.
The website is www.lanecoveparking.com.au. You have three days to make a payment, or fines apply.
When visiting the Payment Portal, you will be prompted to enter your vehicle licence plate, and any outstanding payments will appear.
Tip 5 – If You Receive a Fine Notice – Check All the Details Go Online and Check the Photos
Case Study
Natalie* regularly parks in the Lane Cove Market Square Car Park when dropping off and picking up her child from school. This means she enters and leaves the car park in the morning and enters and leaves the car park in the afternoon. She received an infringement notice (see below) which noted the offence time as between 8.53 am and 3.25 pm – which means she had exceeded the three-hour free parking limit and had been parked at Lane Cove Market Square nearly all day.
Natalie is adamant that she exited the carpark in the morning and did not return until the afternoon, and each time she only stayed a short time. The Fine Notice below was issued.
Natalie writes to Revenue NSW advising them that a mistake has been made and asking them to withdraw the fine. Revenue NSW sends the following reply to Natalie:
Natalie contacts In The Cove and asks if we would investigate. Immediately ITC noticed that the information in the above letter was incorrect. Lane Cove Market Square does not have inground sensors which monitor when a car leaves a particular car park. There are sensors which let you know if a car parking space is vacant or occupied (green or red lights), but these lights do not monitor time.
In the Cove, contacts Revenue NSW and Lane Cove Council to ask them to review the fine due to the incorrect statement in the Revenue NSW letter of review.
A Spokesperson for Lane Cove Council stated:
“Following up with further details on this one. We’ve looked into the case below, and there was an error in reading the number plate because the plate holder covered the top of the “T”. I’m sure you’ve already done so, but please ask the customer to get in touch with council directly.
Market Square, The Canopy and Little St car parks use licence plate number recognition (LPNR) cameras to detect cars entering and exiting to determine their length of stay.”
A Spokesperson for Revenue NSW stated:
“To protect customer privacy Revenue NSW does not publicly comment on the specifics of individual circumstances.
Revenue NSW acknowledges a discrepancy in correspondence describing the method in which a fine for overstaying was allocated in a car park, this issue has been rectified.”
In the interim, Natalie was concerned about being charged a late payment fee, so she paid the fine. She has now received a refund.
*Not her real name.
Bonus Tip Free Parking Only Applies If You Enter after 6 pm
Parking is free if you drive into the car park after 6 pm. However, if you enter at 5.55 pm (or any other time close to 6 pm) and stay for more than three hours, you will be charged for parking.
Early Bird Parking
Early Bird parking is available seven days a week on P4 with entry before 9:30 am and exit after 4:00 pm for only $7.50.
.
So our advice is always to check the online system if you are close to staying over the three-hour free period.
Help Support Local and Independent News
You can support us in three ways:
- Become an ITC reader sponsor – Feel free to sponsor if you have enjoyed our local news coverage and would like to be an ITC reader sponsor. You can sponsor us with a monthly sponsorship fee. We have reader sponsors who support us for $5.00 a month and some who invest $100 a year – no amount is too small or too big. Thank you so much to those who supported us via our press Patreon account. Help Us Here.
- Buy the ITC team a coffee – We now have a team, and they need to be paid – by the ITC team a coffee (or two) that will help us pay their wages and shout than a coffee Buy a Coffee here.
- Do you own a Lane Cove Business or a Lane Cove resident who owns a business, you can advertise with ITC. Please email us here for our rates card.
