Council backflip on Geelong hospital parking fine following public outcry
A $102 fine issued to a man while he was caring for his dying wife has sparked public outcry and a new approach from council in how it polices parking nearby the region’s health hubs.
Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj has personally intervened to overturn a parking fine issued to a man while he was caring for his gravely ill wife in Geelong hospital’s emergency department.
The move came just hours after the Addy reported on Friday the experience of Robert Aubrey, which sparked a public outcry over what many viewed as council’s “heartless” approach.
Mr Kontelj called Mr Aubrey to apologise and inform him the $102 fine would be thrown out.
“I want to recognise the distress that Mr Aubrey experienced as a result of receiving a parking infringement at such a difficult time,” he said following the phone call.
“Now that we have received all of the relevant information, I have been advised that the city will be refunding the infringement and I have personally reached out to Mr Aubrey to express my deepest condolences.
“In addition to this, I have spoken with the chief executive and we will be creating a new process where we will supply organisations such as hospitals, blood collection and breast screening centres with a form to be certified on the day and supplied to council where we can review and respond compassionately on a case-by-case basis.”
Mr Aubrey welcomed the development but said “they (council) had already upset me” after his appeal to have the fine waived was rejected – something he learnt of on the same day he collected the ashes of his wife, Marie.
“After challenging the ticket and relaying the circumstances, I just assumed any normal human being would understand, so that was a bit annoying … don’t be a vulture,” Mr Aubrey said.
“If the roles were reversed and I was dead and my wife got that (the fine), she wouldn’t get over it for a month.
“At least I was expecting my wife to pass away, we knew that, but what if it was someone’s kid who’s got their life ahead of them and they treat them (family) this way?”
Mr Aubrey said the issue was never about money, rather he didn’t want another family to have their grief exacerbated by overzealous public servants.
“I’m not even remotely interested in the $100,” he said.
Mr Aubrey’s plight prompted a strong public reaction, with many readers recounting similar stories of their own.
“There has to be exceptions, this is gut wrenching,” one person commented online.
Mr Aubrey had rushed his wife, who suffered from pulmonary arterial hypertension, to Geelong hospital earlier this year so medical staff could urgently drain six litres of fluid from her stomach.
Despite thinking his wife was going to pass away at any moment, Mr Aubrey made sure to return to his car on Swanston St to renew his parking ticket.
“It (the fine) was issued when I still had another 20 minutes left on the ticket,” he said.
On Thursday, a council spokesman disputed the length of time left on the ticket, saying officers issued an infringement after Mr Aubrey’s vehicle was parked in a two-hour zone for two hours and 49 minutes without moving.
More Coverage
Originally published as Council backflip on Geelong hospital parking fine following public outcry
Do you need to spend big for best NAPLAN results in Geelong?
