Blackburn workers slapped with Whitehorse Council parking fines despite asking for advice

PARKING inspectors have slapped Blackburn workers with parking infringements, despite saying they would not impose fines.

A GROUP of Blackburn workers are outraged they were stuck with parking fines despite their efforts to abide by the law.

One man said three separate parking inspectors had told him they would not issue an infringement for where he was ticketed — but Whitehorse Council wouldn’t budge on the $159 fines.

The Blackburn Station Village workers were stung for parking at the back of a Station Parade building in May.

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There are no marked lines or signs indicating parking in that spot is illegal, and the workers say they have watched others park there unapprehended for years.

Grant Myers said when the space became vacant after he had seen people park there in the two and a half years he had worked nearby, he sought advice from two different parking inspectors before leaving his car there.

Whitehorse Council refused to dismiss the fines.

“Both said that due to the lack of signage they wouldn’t impose an infringement,” he said.

But soon after, Mr Myers and at least four other workers were slapped with $159 fines for parking “within 10m of an intersection”.

When he explained the situation to the council, attempting to get the fines overturned, he was told he had committed a statutory offence according to the road rules, and was required to pay the fine or pursue the issue in court.

Mr Myers said he was appalled by the “robotic” system that had “no reasonable way of adjudicating”.

“Councillors portray themselves as fair, reasonable human beings,” he said.

“They want us to perceive that they’re run by everyday people.

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“But there’s no human response to everyday issues. I tried to do he right thing.”

Council general manager corporate services Peter Smith said: “There (was) no requirement for signage to be erected” at the spot. “Officers are all aware of the road rules … the council is not aware of the perceived conflicting views of officers.”

Mr Myers said another inspector had since told him they would not issue a fine for where he was stung.

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