Parking fines: Fairfield Council made more than $1m in one year on one street

We reveal the five local streets in the top 60 streets in NSW where motorists are most likely to get stung.

Parking rangers pictured on John St in Cabramatta. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

THE NRMA has slammed Fairfield Council for making more than $1 million in parking fines from just one street in one year.

The Fairfield Advance can reveal five local streets are in the top 60 streets in NSW where motorists are most likely to get stung.

The Revenue NSW data reveals the council received $1,032,694 from John St, Cabramatta in 2017-18, making it the third most lucrative street in NSW.

Pitt St ($2.3m) and Castlereagh Sts ($1.2m) were the only streets that made more.

The council also made $545,296 from Canley Vale Rd in Canley Heights, ranking eighth overall.

Fairfield’s Nelson St ($408,987), Ware St ($390,133) and Spencer Lane ($308,028) were also in the top 60.

Only City of Sydney (22) and Waverley Council (eight) had more streets in the top 60.

“These streets are paved in gold for local councils,” NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said.

“There needs to be a review of all councils and how they manage their parking infrastructure; $1m on a suburban street in Cabramatta is simply not good enough.”

The fines relate to 229 offences that include ignoring parking directions, parking after a meter has expired and even waiting too long for a soon-to-be-vacated parking spot.

“The system is meant to be there to manage parking infrastructure — not simply raise revenue,” Mr Khoury said.

“Any council that generates more than $1m in parking fines should be putting money directly into new parking areas and local roads.”

Business owners and their customers believe they are being targeted.

Delivery driver Athi Ganesh, 33, has copped three fines this year — the most recent witnessed by the Advance on Tuesday, May 21.

“I’m just going to have to avoid the area,” he said.

A Fairfield Council spokeswoman said council officers “act to maintain vehicle safety and parking availability for visitors which ensures the success of these centres”.

“Unlike many other councils, we offer free on-street parking in our town centres to allow people to park and do business, and almost 1,700 off-street parking spaces,” she said.

“Council is committed to, and has an obligation to ensuring all residents shopping in our city centres can share in the thousands of parking spaces available across the city.”

Small business owners Joe and Lisa Nguyen pictured in their shop on John St in Cabramatta. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Lisa Nguyen is the co-owner of John St business JL Home and Digital.

In the 3.5 years she has been there she has been fined at least a dozen times when unloading deliveries into her store.

“I have even asked parking rangers if it was OK if I move my car to another spot to finishing unloading; they said ‘yes’, but then fined me anyway,” the 28-year-old said.

“There is no transparency. It is frustrating, especially if you know the parking officer.

“It seems like there is no leniency.”

Small business owners Joe and Lisa Nguyen pictured on John St in Cabramatta. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Ms Nguyen said she has mainly been fined for overstaying the 30 minute parking limit.

However, she has also been stung while in her car because she was waiting too long, with her indicator on, for a parking spot soon to be vacated by a departing car.

“Nothing has changed in 20 years with the parking problem and yet the council just keeps on fining people; it is a money grab,” she said.

“I’ve asked council about changes that would make it better for business owners and shoppers, but they never respond.”

3rd Fairfield Council: John Street Cabramatta 5,464 $1,032,694;

8th Fairfield Council: Canley Vale Road Canley Heights 2,204 $545,296;

24th Fairfield Council: Nelson Street Fairfield 1,622 $408,987;

28th Fairfield Council: Ware Street Fairfield 2,202 $390,133;

41st Fairfield Council: Spencer Lane Fairfield 1,239 $308,028.