Where most parking fines are issued on Gold Coast

Figures obtained by the Bulletin show council issued almost 120,000 parking fines on the Gold Coast in just 12 months. Here’s where you are most likely to get stung.

At least $9.4m has been added to Gold Coast City Council coffers after it issued almost 120,000 parking fines in the last financial year.

Figures revealed to the Bulletin show that despite Covid-19 restrictions, 117,916 parking penalty infringement notices were issued in the 12 months to the end of June 2021.

The minimum fine amount during this period was $80.

Cars parked on a footpath outside Helensvale Aquatic Centre. Picture: Facebook.

One in three of the fines issued was at Surfers Paradise, where motorists were slugged with penalties on 39,875 occasions.

The next highest number was at Burleigh Heads, where 23,542 fines were issued, followed closely by Southport with 23,442.

However some suburbs saw hardly any fines issued, with ten or less parking infringement notices dished out in Merrimac, Maudsland, Elanora and Tallebudgera.

At Helensvale, where residents reacted angrily last week after councillor William Owen-Jones warned people risked fines for parking on a footpath beside the local aquatic centre, just 27 fines were issued in the 2020/21 financial year.

The cost of paying a parking ticket raised on March 1, with a general parking fine now $92. The fine for parking on a yellow line has risen to $172, while parking on a footpath could set you back $275.

Ally Hundy from Rathdowney said she would be “cautious” about visiting the Gold Coast again after being issued with a parking fine in January.

Ms Hundy copped the fine after parking on Connor St in Burleigh.

“We were down there because it was school holidays and we went and saw my stepson who was working just around the corner,” Ms Hundy said.

“It’ll make us cautious about coming back.”

Ms Hundy’s bank records showed she made two payments to council, at 11.45am and 12.41pm. However the fine was issued at 12.13pm and council said it only had a record of the second payment.

“If we hadn’t paid for the parking I’d accept it,” Ms Hundy said.

“However I have black and white documentation from my bank saying it was paid.”

Ms Hundy appealed the fine with council, but was rebuffed. However the fine was eventually waived after she went to her local councillor, who she said reached out to the Mayor’s office, and it was established an error had been made regarding the number plate registered to the first payment.

“With the supporting documentation I had, I’m not surprised, but it was an unnecessary waste of everyone’s time,” Ms Hundy said.

“My suggestion to council would be provide a receipt so payment can be visible.”

The ticket on the window of Ally Hundy’s car.

Ms Hundy is not the only one to have successfully appealed a parking fine with council.

Of the 117,916 fines issued in the 2020/21 financial year, 13,675 were appealed. Those appeals were successful in 8541 cases – or 62 per cent of cases.

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