Councils told to stop ticketless parking fines as revenue soars

Much-loathed ticketless parking fines will soon be a thing of the past, after the state government ordered councils to revert to issuing old-school tickets following sustained community outcry.

Councils have been ordered to revert to issuing old-school parking tickets after a surge in revenue to almost $140m from fines to unsuspecting motorists under the ticketless system.

Introduced as part of a trial in early 2020, councils across NSW have been going ticketless, where motorists who stay too long in a parking spot or park illegally are only made aware they have been caught weeks later when an infringement notice arrives in the mail.

The NRMA has been among the vocal opponents to the “unfair” system, which left motorists wanting to contest the fine at a disadvantage because they had long since left the scene.

In response to community uproar, Finance Minister Courtney Houssos this week wrote to councils using the ticketless system telling them to revert to the old system of ensuring motorists were aware at the time that they had been fined.

Ms Houssos also said she would ban any further councils from signing up to the system.

Lauren Clark with kids (l to r) Billie, Andi and Milla after parking her car at Maroubra beach. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

She said the ticketless scheme had “eroded trust” in parking fine system.

“Providing immediate notification to drivers is the right thing to do and is an important first step to restoring community trust in the administration of the fines system,” she wrote.

Ms Houssos told councils to use a system which immediately informed drivers of a fine in writing, such as a note on the windscreen.

“This could be as simple as a note, which could take the form of a standardised, pre-printed card, noting that a fine has been issued.

“Doing so … will allow (drivers) to take their own photos and note down relevant details,” she wrote.

Finance Minister Courtney Houssos has told councils to revert to old-school parking tickets. Picture: David Swift

The note did not need to form part of the infringement notice, but “at a minimum” it should inform the driver that they would soon receive an infringement notice via post or the Service NSW app, she said.

The ticketless fine system, began as a trial in May 2020 under the former Coalition government, has proved to be a bonanza for councils.

It allows councils to send details of a fine directly to Revenue NSW, which then sends an infringement notice by post or the Service NSW app. In most cases. the driver has no immediate indication they have received a ticket.

Revenue NSW figures show council fine revenue has risen from $198m in 2018 to more than $236m n in 2023.

Almost $140m in 2023 came from councils using the ticketless system, with more than 749,000 fines issued.

While the ticketless scheme meant drivers could access photographic evidence of their alleged infringement, it was difficult to gather evidence for any review, Ms Houssos said.

The reduced impact of a fine as an immediate deterrent and influence to behaviour, and drivers possibly receiving multiple parking infringements before they were notified, were also factors in stopping the system, she said.

NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said: “If motorists only learn they have been fined weeks later, it takes away the transparency of the scheme and stops motorists from getting their own evidence.

“It is also not a deterrent. If you park at the beach and you see parking fines on peoples’ windscreens, it reminds people that parking officers are about and to do the right thing.”

Lauren Clark, after parking at Maroubra Beach, said: “I’d definitely prefer to get a (paper) ticket, simply so you’d know, and it’s always handy to see when there’s a parking inspector walking, handing out fines.”

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