Greater Adelaide councils collect $15m in parking fines in 2020/21

Parking inspectors have helped to collect more than $15m in fines for Adelaide’s councils. Here’s where motorists are most likely to get pinged.

A parking inspector targets drivers at Glenelg. Picture: AAP/ Keryn Stevens

Greater Adelaide councils have collected more than $15m in parking expiations last financial year, as motorists continue to flout the rules despite quieter streets due to Covid.

The most common reasons for fines were exceeding the time limit, stopping in a bicycle lane, vehicles parked on yellow lines and stopping in a permit zone.

Adelaide City Council issued the most fines: 88,371, predominantly for contravene permissive parking sign and failing to display a ticket correctly, and collected $7.09m.

Holdfast Bay Council issued 17,249 fines and collected $1.5m, while Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council issued 11,861 fines and collected $1.03m.

The largest suburban council, Onkaparinga, issued one of the lowest amounts of fines of 752 and collected $159,239, which was less than the smallest council of Walkerville.

Local Government Association chief executive Clinton Jury said council officers had their support to carry out the “often difficult” task of administering parking legislation.

“While parking fines always generate plenty of discussion in the community, including as we recover from the pandemic and more people are driving to the office, the reality is they only affect people who park unlawfully,” Mr Jury said.

One of the more memorable parking fines last financial year was Treasurer Stephen Mullighan being fined while addressing a press conference at Victoria Square ahead of the election.

At the time, Mr Mullighan said the inspector rightly pointed out he was parked in the wrong spot and he paid the $71 expiation.

“Those who do receive parking fines, for whatever reason, have clear avenues to request a review of the expiation should they feel it has been issued in error,” Mr Jury said.

Of the 13,677 fines asked by motorists to be reviewed, 4633 were withdrawn, or 33 per cent.

Traffic law specialist Karen Stanley said councils were more amenable to consider reviewing a fine for good reason.

“There is no legislation governing the grounds for having a parking fine reviewed, but the sorts of reasons a council may consider are if the signs are ambiguous or are obscured, if the parking meter wasn’t working, if someone overstayed the time limit for unavoidable reasons,” Ms Stanley, of Stanley Law, said.

“If drivers want to appeal a fine, they need to collect evidence immediately. I recommend taking photos of signs, parking placement and paystations.”

Parking tickets on a car new the Royal Adelaide Show.

“While drivers can elect to be prosecuted for a parking fine, I don’t recommend it because there are no demerit points and there is no risk of a loss of licence.

“The amount of the fine is always far less than the cost of a lawyer.”

RAA spokesman Matt Vertudaches said motorists must familiarise themselves with the rules as regular feedback from members was that they didn’t realise parking in bike lanes was illegal.

However, it made up about 20 of Prospect Council’s parking expiations with 1406 fines issued worth $298 each.

“Drivers may also think they are doing the right thing on narrow streets and park partially on the verge, which can also result in a fine,” Mr Vertudaches said.

“They should also ensure they don’t park too close to intersections, fire plugs and unbroken dividing lines.”

Adelaide City Council’s fines while appear high were lower than previous years of 109,022 expiations in 2020/21 and 115,590 in 2019/20.

The council also voted to allow free on-street weeknight and weekend parking in February-March and agreed to UPark discounts to get people back in the city after Covid.

It followed a similar parking initiative in September, as part of its Reignite Adelaide program, which allowed free parking in council UParks on weeknights and weekends.

Greater Adelaide’s parking fine revenue could be much higher as data from Playford, Charles Sturt, Campbelltown and Tea Tree Gully councils was unavailable.