Driver wins year-long parking fine battle

A MAN has had his parking fine rescinded after a David and Goliath battle with the Brisbane City Council that lasted more than a year.

Paul Sutherland is concerned about street signage in the Lang Park Traffic Area. Picture: AAP/Claudia Baxter

A BRISBANE man has had his parking fine rescinded after a David and Goliath battle with the Brisbane City Council that lasted more than a year.

It comes as new figures obtained by The Sunday Mail reveal the council waived an extraordinary 13,100 parking fines on appeal in 2017/18 — or about 250 every week.

Paul Sutherland was stung with the $91 fine in May, 2017, after overstaying the 15-minute time length in the Lang Park traffic area in Milton on an event day.

Mr Sutherland claims he saw no signage as he approached the area that indicated it was an event day, leading him to believe he could park his car.

Paul Sutherland on the corner of Latrobe Terrace and Gladstone Street in Paddington. He said there was no sign of it being an event day when he parked. Picture: AAP/Claudia Baxter

He spent the next 12 months fighting the fine, including writing to the Lord Mayor, challenging the fine with the disputes commissioner and asking the director-general of the Transport Department about the validity of the parking signs in the area.

It was eventually withdrawn in July this year — just 24 hours before Mr Sutherland was scheduled to go to court, with a council spokesman conceding it was rescinded due to a “technical matter”.

There are currently ten large billboard signs at major entry ways into the Lang Park traffic area that inform motorists when an event is being held.

But Mr Sutherland said there are three entry points that have no signs at all.

“I retraced my steps into the area and I drove straight in (and) didn’t go past any signs.

“It’s very easy to enter the area without being notified as a motorist you’re in the area. How is a person parking expected to know what is meant by event day or when an event is on…?”

Other signs in the area simply tell motorists about the parking restrictions, but do not say when an event is on.

Mr Sutherland wants them changed so they specify when an event is on and for every other motorist who has been wrongly fined to have their money refunded.

“The impact on a ratepayer is that I’ve had to take two days off work to attend court appearances,” he said. “It’s a very costly process. My feeling is that they regulate the parking like bullies.”

A council spokesman said they have announced plans to replace the ten big signs at major entry ways so they will specify when an event is being held ahead of time and on the day.

“The Lang Park Traffic Area has been in place since 2003 and Council has signage at every road entry into the area,” he said.

“Every major roadway has large billboard signs advising of the traffic area, which have flashing lights to highlight event days.”