Northern Beaches Council makes $7.7m in parking fines in 2018/2019
Northern Beaches Council spends half the money on roads, bridges and footpaths than that of other similar councils in Sydney - despite collecting $20m in parking fines over the past three years.
Manly
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Northern Beaches Council raked in $7.7 million in parking fines in the last financial year.
In total 61,358 fines were issued — for parking, health, fire safety, building compliance, abandoned items, pollutions and pool barriers — creating $8.3 million in revenue.
But parking infringements were the biggest money-maker by far.
Meanwhile, new website Your Council has revealed in the 2017/2018 financial year Northern Beaches Council spent about half the money on roads, bridges and footpaths compared with similar sized councils in Sydney.
Results for the last financial year were not available.
The Your Council data adds weight to complaints by Federal Mackellar MP Jason Falinski about what he calls a “footpath emergency” on the northern beaches.
He has called for the council to concentrate on repairing roads and collecting rubbish, rather than trying to tackle national issues such as climate change.
Council CEO Ray Brownlee defended the amount made in fines.
He said Northern Beaches Council was the fourth largest LGA in the state encompassing 52 suburbs from Manly to Palm Beach, and parking was always in high demand.
“To ensure everyone gets a chance to park near the beach or near the shops, and to promote public safety, council enforces parking time and place restrictions,” Mr Brownlee said.
“Council have also adopted a 10-minute grace period for people who are racing back to their cars if they have overstayed.”
Cr Vincent De Luca, who requested the information on fines, said over the past three years the council had made more than $20 million out of parking infringements.
He said the money should go into supporting community issues, not into consolidated revenue which he claimed was to help pay off the salaries of executives.
“Our CEO is on nearly $500,000 a year,” Cr De Luca said. “The CEO doubled the number of directors from three to six and they are all on $300-$400,000 a year.”
He said the amalgamation was meant to be about cutting bureaucracy and cutting rates but residents had seen an increase in both.
It comes as the NRMA revealed that Northern Beaches Council was the fourth-highest LGA in NSW for complaints about potholes in the 60 days up to September 18.
It received 897 call-outs on the peninsula relating to wheel damage and bung tyres — blown, shredded and deflated — caused by potholes during that period.
NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said councils should be investing money made from fines on keeping the roads in good repair. He also said councillors on the northern beaches voted not to reduce fines in line with recommendations.
“It’s about making sure people don’t abuse parking rules and not about just making money off families,” Mr Khoury said. “Motorists should not be used as cash cows.”
The council said in the last financial year it spent $14.7 million on maintaining its roads, kerbs, footpaths and associated transport infrastructure.
It has not revealed what percentage was for transport infrastructure.
The council also paid $1.175 million to the State Government in processing fees relating to parking fines.
Mayor Michael Regan also hit back at Cr De Luca, saying money was being invested in the community, with $2.54 million being committed from the 2019/2020 budget to youth and community services and $5 million being spent upgrading sporting facilities.