Adelaide City Council data reveals CBD’s 10 biggest parking fine hotspots

Just 10 streets in Adelaide’s CBD netted the council millions of dollars from drivers last year. But city-dwellers say there’s nothing fair about their tactics.

Pirie St has proven to be one of the City Council’s biggest parking fine hotspots.

The Adelaide City Council raked in a whopping $8.37 million in parking revenue in the 2022/23 financial year, with more than $2.3m in fines handed out on the CBD’s 10 busiest streets alone.

City of Adelaide data, analysed by The Advertiser, has revealed Pirie St and Flinders St were the biggest expiation hotspots, with 3849 and 3794 fines handed out respectively between January and December 2023.

More than 3200 parkers were caught in the lurch on Hindmarsh Sq, while 2993 fines were dished out on Halifax St.

If drivers thought they would get away with a quick stop on Pulteney St, it might be time to think again.

While the CBD thoroughfare came in ninth on the parking fine hotspots, it was the city’s most lucrative — with an eye-watering $572,314 in fines thanks to 1787 expiations for stopping in a bus lane, a move that costs commuters $296.

North Adelaide resident Joey Beaton said she had only been stung once on Pirie St, but it was a different story near her house on Finniss St — where 422 fines were dished out last year, totalling $26,513.

“The council only gives out one permit for residents, so we’re constantly fighting to find a park near home,” she said.

“It’s a rort, we would have racked up thousands of dollars in fines since we’ve been here.

Ms Beaton said nearby Frome Rd — which was hit by 255 fines last year — was often packed with hospital workers trying to find parking for the day or Adelaide Oval attendees.

“There’s never enough on-street parking here, it’s a real gripe,” she said.

Last year, at least 17 drivers were hit by $296 expiation notices in a Fringe Festival fine spree along Bartels Rd, totalling a massive $5000 revenue in just 15 minutes.

A total of 110,792 fines were handed out in the 2022/23 financial year by the Adelaide City Council — an increase of 22,443 on the previous year.

Between July 1 and December 31 2023, 69,323 expiation notices were issued for a total revenue of $4.51 million.

Joey Beaton on Pirie St, the city’s worst hotspot to be hit by a parking fine. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Adelaide City Council associate director of regulatory services Steve Zaluski said the increase in fines between 2021/22 and 2022/23 was “not unexpected” as workers returned to the city after the Covid pandemic.

Mr Zaluski said he understood that no-one wanted to receive a fine, but believed most people would accept the need for council to monitor parks to ensure their availability for CBD-goers.

“Revenue from parking expiations is combined with rates revenue and other council income to provide the many services Council delivers to keep our city streets, footpaths and Park Lands clean, well maintained and activated,” Mr Zaluski said.

“Council aims to provide safe, fair and accessible parking for all city users through our role in monitoring compliance with parking controls.

“We encourage all motorists visiting the City of Adelaide to assess the length of their parking requirements and comply with the signed parking control.

“For longer stays there are many off-street parking stations available, including nine Council-owned and operated U-Park

locations.”

Originally published as Adelaide City Council data reveals CBD’s 10 biggest parking fine hotspots