Parking inspectors armed with licence plate recognition tech

THE DAYS of staying overtime in a Lismore parking space and getting away without a fine are fast coming to an end.

DON’T GET CAUGHT: Byron Bay ranger Mal Hamilton and Lismore ranger Glenn Pease with the new parking camera, which is being deployed in the Lismore CBD. Picture: Doug Eaton

THE DAYS of staying overtime in a Lismore parking space and getting away without a fine are fast coming to an end, with Lismore City Council to deploy cutting- edge licence plate recognition (LPR) technology for the first time this week.

No longer will rangers be confined to the traditional "chalk and walk" technique, but once a week (on an unnamed day) they will command a marked "parking patrol" car fitted with a special camera and GPS system.

Using the camera, they can detect any car violating parking time limits with just two passes.

Lismore City Council compliance officer Matt Kelly said the technology would be primarily deployed around the Lismore CBD, where illegal parking was a problem.

"We've known for a long time that people are playing games and abusing the parking system limits downtown," Mr Kelly said.

"What we're saying to people with the introduction of LPR is you need to change your habits.

"We won't be sneaky - we'll have a fully marked vehicle.

"We hope it encourages people to do the right thing."

Instead of forking out between $75,000 and $100,000 for a unit of their own, Lismore City Council opted to hire the equipment from Byron Shire Council.

The Byron council invested in the technology two years ago and it is used mostly in Byron Bay.