Sydney councils issuing the most ticketless parking fines reject government request to stop

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The Sydney councils issuing the most ticket parking fines are refused a state government request to end the practice. The local authorities are citing concerns for the safety of rangers.

Transcript

00:00The ticketless scheme was introduced in 2020, the first year of the pandemic.

00:07Instead of being fixed to windscreens, infringement notices are mailed to drivers and appear on

00:12their Service NSW accounts.

00:14That means drivers parked in some council areas return to their vehicles without realising

00:19they've been fined.

00:20In March, Finance Minister Courtney Hughes-Oss asked councils to revert to issuing some form

00:25of written notification at the time a parking offence is recorded.

00:29She said the ticketless system made fines less of an immediate deterrent, adding that

00:33drivers may receive multiple infringements before being notified.

00:37But the councils that have raised the most revenue from ticketless parking fines have

00:41declined to change their ways.

00:43North Sydney Council says it has no plans to voluntarily return to a paper ticketing

00:48system, adding paperless fines significantly reduced confrontations between parking officers

00:53and members of the public.

00:55The City of Sydney is reviewing the request, but says the paperless system has improved

01:00safety for rangers and ensures drivers are notified even if tickets go missing.

01:05Canterbury Bankstown Council is maintaining its practice of posting fines or issuing a

01:10notification card at the discretion of officers.

01:13The fines are a money spinner, with the 48 councils using the system raking in more than

01:18$139 million last year.

01:21The State Government has the power to introduce regulations forcing councils to revert to

01:25traditional paper tickets if needed.

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