December 1st 2024.
When it comes to parking, it seems that councils in one Australian city are making quite a pretty penny. In fact, they're raking in hundreds of millions of dollars each year from parking fines. But as it turns out, some drivers are getting stung harder than others.
According to recent figures from The Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney's councils collected a whopping $226 million in parking tickets during the last financial year, which ended in June 2024. That breaks down to about $25,798 every single hour. And while that may seem like a lot, it's important to note that these fines were issued across 32 different councils in the New South Wales capital. Plus, the amount of the fines can vary depending on which region you're in.
For example, drivers in the Central Coast region were hit with the highest fines, averaging around $278 per parking ticket. Camden came in a close second at $257 per ticket, with Canterbury-Bankstown not far behind at $232 per fine. On the other hand, the City of Sydney council handed out the most fines overall, with an average of $166 per ticket. In total, over $45 million worth of parking tickets were issued in the city, with the majority of them being given out in areas with limited parking, such as the CBD, Surry Hills, and Darlinghurst.
A spokesperson for the City of Sydney defended the high rate of fines, stating that they are necessary in order to "enforce charges or time restrictions to encourage fair turnover of spaces." However, it's worth noting that not all councils are quite as strict when it comes to issuing fines. For example, Ryde and Liverpool councils had the smallest average fines at $155 per ticket.
Now, you may be wondering what types of parking violations are the most common in New South Wales. Well, among the 125 different types of offences, failing to pay for parking, parking for longer than indicated, and disobeying a no-stopping sign are at the top of the list. And with the holiday season fast approaching, it's expected that fines will only increase as shoppers and beachgoers battle for limited parking spaces across the city.
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