Lane Cove Council’s policy on retaining a ticketless parking infringement notice system will have to change after the NSW State Government has decided to implement a system it deems fairer to the public.
Earlier this year, the NSW State Finance Minister asked local councils to re-introduce printed parking infringements so drivers would be instantly notified of an offence and be able to gather evidence against a claim.
A spokesperson from Lane Cove Council told ITC in May that they will not oblige with this request as the ticketless system favours the safety and wellbeing of their staff rangers.
“There are instances such as this where it can be safer to issue fines electronically. Council also has a number of ticketless car parks where details are captured electronically and not monitored in person,” the Lane Cove Council spokesperson explained.
“We have also noticed a reduction in negative behaviour towards regulatory staff, providing a safer working environment for our staff.
“Our procedure will therefore continue to be to use a mix of both formats; we do not intend to return solely to paper tickets. As part of their training, Rangers are taught the importance of showing discretion where appropriate and that includes both the issue of informal and formal warnings, as well issuing actual fines for non-compliance with the law. They will continue to utilise this training to identify the most appropriate procedure.”
This week, the NSW Finance Minister said legislation requiring councils to attach on-the-spot notifications for parking infringements will be introduced later this month. We will let you know the implementation date.
The legislation to be introduced by the NSW Government will:
- Require councils to attach an on-the-spot notification to a vehicle. This could be the penalty notice or a short description of the offence and notice that a fine will be sent to them.
- Require councils to take photos of offences – even if they use the traditional ‘ticketed’ method – and make them available for Revenue NSW to provide to drivers. The photos must include images of the vehicle, relevant signage and the physical notice left on the vehicle. This will streamline the review process for any challenged fines.
- Limit the circumstances where an on-the-spot notification is not required to be left by a parking officer, for example, where it is hazardous or unsafe for them to do so.
- Invalidate ‘repeat’ ticketless parking fines to address a key concern of the existing system: drivers can be fined multiple times for the same offence before they even become aware of the first infringement.
- Data reporting rules should be introduced to monitor the implementation of the legislation and evaluate if any future reforms are necessary.
Number Plate Recognition Car Parking Stations
Four Lane Cove Council parking stations use number plate recognition technology – The Canopy, Lane Cove Market Square, St Leonards and Little Street Car Parking.
The requirement to issue an on-the-spot notification will not apply to a limited number of parking zones, such as these enclosed parking areas that use licence plate recognition technology, and in national parks with limited mobile phone connectivity.
However Lane Cove Council will have to update all their parking signs as regulations issued by the Minister for Finance will describe the wording, font size, colour, and location of signage to give drivers sufficient advance warning they are in a ticketless infringement zone.
Until the legislation is implemented, we’ve highlighted some on-street parking spots where you should always double-check before parking; otherwise, you may receive an infringement notice in the mail in a couple of weeks (and how many of us check our mailboxes regularly?)
Rear-to-curb parking on Little Street, near Pottery Green Oval
It’s important to note that your vehicle must be parked at a 90-degree angle—rear to curb—and that you only have two hour parking time limit between Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday through Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
This area also includes an electric vehicle charging bay with 2-hour parking from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every week. You can only park here while your vehicle is charging.
Outdoor Public Car Park Council Chambers/Aquatic Centre
This Council-run car park operates Monday through Sunday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and offers two hours of free parking. However, only part of the car park is available for the public to park in during these hours, as an area is also reserved for council staff.
Rangers regularly patrol the area and issue a fine when a vehicle is parked for more than the two-hour time limit or parked in council-nominated car parking spaces.
Seniors Parking Harris Farm Car Park – Lower Level
There is seniors’ parking near the upramp to Burns Bay Road. Seniors Parking is written on the gound. However, the signs on the car park poles are easy to miss as they are above eye level when parking.
Harris Farm Car Park – Council Run Only Two Hours Free
Unlike the other council-run enclosed car parks, this one offers only two hours of free parking, not three.
Loading zone, Burns Bay Road, outside Harris Farm
For years, this area was a 15-minute parking zone. However, not too long ago, an early morning loading zone was introduced between 6 am and 10 am Monday through Sunday. It is 15-minute parking from 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Sunday.
There is also an early morning loading zone on Burns Bay Road near Poolwerx.
For further tips on how to avoid parking fines in Lane Cove read our article here
Local Government NSW Response
Local Government NSW (LGNSW) is the peak body that represent NSW Local Councils.
President Cr Darriea Turley AM has claimed the NSW Government did not undertake a detailed consultation over the proposed legislative reforms. Cr Turley said it was extremely disappointing that LGNSW had not been consulted on the draft legislation prior to this week’s announcement despite having engaged with the Government and the sector on the issue for some time.
Cr Turley said any legislative reform could have wide-ranging implications for councils and if not drafted appropriately could run the risk of worsening the safety and logistical consequences for councils and their staff.
“Our greatest concern is the very real risk to the safety and wellbeing of compliance officers. This decision will put rangers right back in harm’s way,” Cr Turley said.
“Councils’ primary responsibility remains the safety and wellbeing of their staff. One of the main reasons many councils introduced ticketless fines was to reduce the incidence of verbal and physical abuse of employees.
“Councils that adopted ticketless enforcement and vehicle-mounted camera technology have reported a reduction in these incidents as a result.”
Cr Turley said another concern was councils’ significant investment in new technology to issue infringements.
“Many hundreds of thousands of dollars have been invested by councils across NSW on technology, cars, cameras and software.
“With ongoing cost-shifting and the current financial climate affecting councils’ ability to provide the services and facilities their communities deserve, these parking reforms would significantly impact council budgets.”
Cr Turley said there was an element of double standards when the NSW Government continued to issue ticketless fines for its own safety initiatives.
“The NSW Government has more than 500 cameras enforcing road rules with fines of a higher value and involving a loss of demerit points. And they’ve happily overseen cameras that look inside your car to see if you’re using a phone or wearing a seatbelt of course without warning,” Cr Turley said.
“It was only a few weeks ago that the NSW Government announced its own expansion of ticketless speeding fines with the roll out of point-to-point cameras.
“While we acknowledge the Minister has had conversations with LGNSW and with the sector, I’m disappointed that as yet we’ve been unable to review a copy of the draft bill prior to its introduction to parliament, particularly when councils can’t compromise on staff safety and don’t have money to spare for less efficient ways of working,” Cr Turley said.
Cr Turley said the sector supported workable options but strongly opposed legislative changes that would increase safety risks and costs to communities.
“We look forward to reviewing the draft bill and working with the government through the parliamentary process to represent our members,” Cr Turley said.
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