Ryde Council backs away from promise to reduce parking fines

A council is Sydney’s northwest has backed away from an earlier promise to reduce parking fines.

Ryde Council has had a rethink of an earlier promise to opt in to lowering the standard parking fine.

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Ryde Council is set to make a sharp U-turn on its promise to reduce parking fines this year.

Councillors voted in December to “opt in” to cut the standard parking fine from $112 to $80, following State Government regulatory reforms last year.

However, there has been a dramatic rethink after a report was presented in a confidential session at last week’s council meeting.

Staff recommended the council “not proceed” with lowering the level 2 penalty notices because 80 per cent of these fines are issued to non-residents.

A meeting record shows independent councillor Roy Maggio and Liberal Trenton Brown took exception to the motion then proposed an amendment for council to stick with its December commitment.

Cr Roy Maggio is calling for council to give any parking-fine revenue to local charities. Picture: Jordan Shields

The pair also called for the council to “implement a new refreshed cultural engagement between rangers and our community” as well as for the community to have a say on the matter.

The amendment was lost six votes to five, with Cr Simon Zhou absent for the vote.

Labor Mayor Jerome Laxale was among those opposing it.

This is despite him putting up a mayoral minute at the December 11 meeting calling for council to opt in, subject to a staff report on its merits. It was unanimously supported by councillors.

In a closed session last week, a further amendment was put by Cr Brown and fellow Liberal Jordan Lane for the matter to be deferred and a redacted report be made available to the public.

It was marginally carried by six votes to five, with councillors Laxale, Christopher Gordon, Peter Kim, Penny Pedersen and Bernard Purcell among the dissenters.

Ryde Mayor Jerome Laxale says there are safety issues and severe financial implications if there’s a reduction in parking fines. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Cr Laxale said he voted against deferring the matter because “I believe I had enough information in the report to make a decision”.

“Residents of North Ryde, businesses in Eastwood and parents (who are) concerned about school safety have given me feedback in regards to parking issues for years,” he said.

“Reducing parking fines will only reward people who break the law and create more safety issues overnight.”

Asked why this wasn’t considered before his mayoral minute, he said: “The motion in December called for a detailed report … so that councillors could make an informed decision … and to comply with code of meeting practice.”

Council made $4.1 million in parking-fine revenue last year, up slightly from $4 million in 2017.

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Cr Maggio said council should not be relying on parking fines to boost its coffers.

“It’s outrageous that council is making money out of infringement notices. That money should be given to local charities and the needy,” he said.

“The community should be informed on what the parking-fine revenue is used for and should be involved in a comprehensive survey requesting if the fines should remain or reduced.”