Casey Council issue more than 2000 fines for parking on nature strip
Motorists in Melbourne’s southeast are being fined in their thousands for breaking a parking rule – but some say they didn’t know about it, and should have been warned first. The council argues it’s dangerous and destructive behaviour.
South East
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Casey motorists have been stung more than 2000 times in the past year for parking on nature strips.
The Leader can reveal Casey Council issued 2228 fines for parking on nature strips between January 1 to December 31 2019.
While parking on nature strips is prohibited, some ratepayers complain it’s a blatant cash grab by councils.
Lorelle Chapman and her partner Peter Young from Berwick, who were fined three times last month for parking on their nature strip and for being parked not facing the direction of travel, say the council were simply “money grabbing”.
“We have lived in this area for almost four years and we’ve never received a fine,” Ms Chapman said.
“What upsets me more is that we didn’t even get a warning or a knock on the door to tell us to stop – it was just one fine after the other and that’s so disappointing,” she said.
“We live right across from Sweeney Reserve and all the parents park on the nature strip because there’s not enough parking at the oval itself, which is the council’s fault.”
She said the council should install no standing signs around the area.
“When soccer is played on the oval at weekends – there is nowhere for anyone to park and if we do park in our driveway we can’t get out due to congestion in the street.”
“I’m happy to pay one of the fines but paying all three is unreasonable and I’ve tried to contact the council about contesting them but they were also unhelpful.”
Ratepayers Victoria president Dean Hurlston said he believed councils were “addicted” to infringement revenue.
“In this case the resident should’ve been given a warning that outlined the council by-laws,” Mr Hurlston said.
“All councils across Victoria seem to be in a desperate grab for cash with parking and general infringements.”
But Casey Council safer communities manager Caroline Bell said the Victorian Road Safety Road Rules prohibit parking on a nature strip.
“Parking on nature strips causes several issues, including restricting the vision of oncoming traffic and impacts drivers’ visibility of pedestrians on the adjoining footpaths, damage to the surface and kerb of the nature strip, and can affect the general amenity of neighbourhoods,” Ms Bell said.
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“Council receives many complaints from residents regarding cars parked on nature strips, particularly due to their frustrations around blocked footpaths, obstructed sight lines or neighbours parking on each other’s nature strips.”
She said anyone receiving an infringement, who believed there were circumstances that prevented them from acting within the law, can request a review under the Infringements Act, 2006.