Sydney parking fines 2020/21: The councils which rake in the most

The parking ranger has returned with a bang in the last 12 months, with a staggering $171 million pocketed in parking fines by councils across greater Sydney. Find out where you are most likely to be fined.

Sydney’s councils have raked in a staggering $171.5 million from parking fines in the past year.

While many councils claimed to have been more lenient on parking restrictions during the height of the pandemic, 21 Sydney councils handed out more fines last year than the year before – with percentage increases as high as 69 per cent.

A ranger issues a fine in Sydney CBD. Picture: Christian Gilles

Sydney councils handed out a total of 1,046,503 fines in the past financial year – a jump from 957,484 the year before, according to data from Revenue NSW.

City of Sydney reaped in the most with $36.26 million from parking fines.

A total of 252,586 fines was handed out by the council in 2020/21 – a 10.2 per cent from the year before.

A council spokeswoman said the high number of parking fines across the last 12 months was due to the area not being “as severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Yet she said the current lockdown had placed renewed pressure on parking spaces.

“We will continue working to ensure those who need parking most have it available, while balancing the needs of all residents, businesses and visitors,” she continued.

“Parking enforcement helps us manage issues of safety and risk, but also helps us encourage drivers to move on so space is fairly available to all.

“We cannot let people park unrestricted, because we need to ensure there is parking space for essential workers and people accessing local businesses.”

Inner West Council came in second, raking in $12.05 million from 84,228 parking fines.

Yet it had an 8.1 per cent reduction in the number of fines handed out compared to the previous year.

Sydney councils handed out a total of 1,046,503 fines in the 2020/21 financial year. Picture: James Gourley

Lane Cove in Sydney’s north shore had a staggering 68.4 per cent increase in the number of fines handed out in the last 12 months, with 12,164 dished out and almost $2 million collected in revenue.

Council’s general manager Craig Wrightson said: “The 20/21 financial year enforcement statistics indicate that the level of activity in our commercial areas has rebounded to pre-Covid times from the start of 2021.

“During the main lockdown period in 19/20, council had minimal enforcement activity, as is the case currently with the latest lockdown.”

The same council, which had the biggest year-on-year increase, handed out 7,224 fines in the 2019/2020 financial year.

It was a similar story for most councils in Sydney’s north shore with Mosman Council raking in $3.11 million from 19,317 parking fines – a 53 per cent increase in fines from the previous year.

Hornsby Shire in the upper north shore also handed out 12,844 fines which was a 42 per cent jump from the year before.

Lane Cove in Sydney’s north shore had a staggering 68.4 per cent increase in the number of fines handed out last year compared to the year before

THE COUNCILS THAT RAKED IN THE MOST IN PARKING FINES

City of Sydney – $36.26M, 252,586 fines (+10.2% from 2019/20)

Inner West – $12.05M, 84,228 fines (-8.1% from 2019/20)

Canterbury-Bankstown – $11.66M, 55,001 fines (+18.5% from 2019/20)

Waverley – $10.48M, 73,487 fines (+28.3% from 2019/20)

Woollahra – $7.5M, 52,588 fines (+51.2% from 2019/20)

Parramatta – $6.71M, 39,163 fines (-18.8% from 2019/20)

A city ranger giving parking infringement notices to street parked cars in Sydney CBD. Picture: James Gourley

North Sydney – $6.61M, 40,671 fines (+3.5% from 2019/20)

Georges River – $6.57M, 30,537 fines (+37.2% from 2019/20)

Sutherland Shire – $6.21M, 33,267 fines (+21.4% from 2019/20)

Bayside – $6.17M, 30,950 fines (+3.4% from 2019/20)

Randwick – $5.66M, 32,163 fines (+14.9% from 2019/20)

Cumberland – $5.65M, 29,336 fines (+14.3% from 2019/20)

Fairfield – $5.61M, 25,301 fines (-11.1% from 2019/20)

Northern Beaches – $5.40M, 31,884 fines (-20.5% from 2019/20)

Willoughby – $4.42M, 26,867 fines (+36.2% from 2019/20)

Burwood – $4.41M, 14,590 fines (+10.7% from 2019/20)

Canada Bay – $4.25M, 26,959 fines (+7.7% from 2019/20)

Ryde – $4.09M, 25,396 fines (+20.3% from 2019/20)

Lane Cove in Sydney’s north shore. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Mosman – 19,317 fines, $3.11M (+53.0% from 2019/20)

Blacktown – $2.90M, 14,590 fines (-3.7% from 2019/20)

Liverpool – $2.75M, 15,902 fines (-8.1% from 2019/20)

Hornsby Shire – $2.14M, 12,844 fines (+42.0% from 2019/20)

Strathfield – $2.07M, 13,432 fines (+9.2% from 2019/20)

Lane Cove – $1.98M, 12,164 fines (+68.4% from 2019/20)

Ku-ring-gai – $1.98M, 11,364 fines (+2.7% from 2019/20)

Campbelltown – $1.45M, 8.588 fines (+0.9% from 2019/20)

Penrith – $1.38M, 7741 fines (-35.5% from 2019/20)

The Hills Shire – $1.31M, 8,795 fines (-3.3% from 2019/20)

Hunters Hill – $606K, 3,196 fines (+13.0% from 2019/20)

Camden – $46K, 198 fines (-43.4% from 2019/20)

Data: Revenue NSW