Clover Moore’s City of Sydney in parking fine boom as other councils worry a return to paper tickets would slow down rangers

The City of Sydney’s parking penalty revenue is way ahead of estimates in the first full financial year of issuing paperless parking fines. Meanwhile, councils fear a return to putting tickets on windscreens will reduce “productivity”.

The City of Sydney’s parking fine revenue is booming in 2023-24 – the first full financial year of issuing paperless penalties.

Meanwhile, other councils have expressed concerns the reintroduction of printed tickets will reduce ranger “productivity”.

Clover Moore’s regime is unhappy about NSW Finance Minister Courtney Houssos’ push for a return to issuing old-school written penalty notices or, at the very least, pre-printed cards telling drivers they have been booked and a fine is on the way.

In a letter to councils this week, Ms Houssos said under the fully paperless system it is difficult for motorists to gather evidence if they want to seek a review and that multiple parking infringements can be issued before the driver gets a letter in the post or an alert via the Service NSW app.

Responding to the move by Ms Houssos, a City spokeswoman said the paperless system “improves safety for our rangers, who often face abuse and aggression from members of the public while doing their job.”

Finance Minister Courtney Houssos. Picture: NCA NewsWire’s David Swift

In 2023, the City issued 265,000 paperless fines – nearly five times more than any other council.

“It is the motorist’s responsibility to park legally at all times,” the City spokeswoman said.

The paperless system involves councils sending penalty notices electronically to Revenue NSW, which then issues the fine. It began in 2020.

The City of Sydney started using invisible fines in November 2021. The rollout to its entire council area was done by December 2022.

That means the first full financial year of issuing paperless fines will be 2023-24.

The council’s latest financial statements show it is on track to make $2.6 million more than budgeted for in 2023-24 budget from “enforcement” due to “higher volumes of fines for parking and commercial waste infringements issued in the CBD than anticipated.”

These higher volumes are likely to push the City’s fine revenue beyond $40m in the 12 months to the end of June this year.

The City has previously confirmed its rangers have productivity targets.

The City of Sydney did not respond to questions about paper fines and productivity.

A City of Sydney Council Parking Ranger at work in the CBD. Picture: John Appleyard

However, having to return to issuing paper fines is a productivity concern for some councils.

Last year, two Shoalhaven councillors raised concerns about the fairness of paperless fines.

A council executive responded that “a return to manually printing tickets at the time of noting a parking offence will reintroduce both Work, Health and Safety concerns for staff, as well as add significant time taken to issue a fine, reducing productivity for Ranger staff.”

A Shoalhaven Council spokeswoman said the paperless system “removes the potential for confrontation between staff and recipient and reduces administration time and cost for Council, meaning more efficient service to the community.”

Ms Houssos said: “I am committed to finding a common sense way forward that provides transparency to drivers and ensures the safety of parking rangers.”

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