$660 fine for drivers who park over someone else’s driveway in Inner West Council

A whopping $660 fine is coming into force in one council area for a simple mistake most drivers make – and the move has residents’ support.

One Sydney council has doubled the penalty for a mistake many drivers thoughtlessly make.

Parking your car on a driveway or across part of a driveway in your neighbourhood may seem harmless to most, but it is now an act punishable by a $660 fine and getting your car towed in one council area.

One simple action could lead to big repercussions after one council introduced a bigger fine. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

In busy, crowded suburbs, many visitors and residents have taken to invading on homeowners’ driveways when looking for parking on crowded streets.

This has caused outrage in suburbs, as residents call on the council to take action.

The issue has blown up in a Sydney council that received 4393 complaints of cars parked in driveways in a year.

Parking on someone else’s driveway is going to attract a $660 fine in the Inner West Council area. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

The Inner West Council will now more than double the fine attached to offending parking, from $330 to $660 in an effort to help residents.

A council spokesperson said the response had been “overwhelmingly positive”, as the community asked council to step in to resolve “cars blocking driveways”.

“Fines and having the offending vehicle towed will occur following a complaint from a resident who has been affected by their driveway being blocked,” the spokesperson said regarding the new rules.

“Residents parking across their own driveways will not be fined or have their vehicle towed.”

Council says residents demanded the fine be increased. Picture: NewsWire / Jenny Evans

Councillor Chloe Smith said the change was absolutely needed in the crowded suburb.

“There’s absolutely a need for tougher measures, particularly in the inner west where it’s densely populated. We have narrow streets and parking is at a premium,” Ms Smith said.

“I had a family contact me who relied on their cars to drop kids to child care who couldn’t exit their driveway and also a person who had a loved one in hospital and needed to use their car to visit them.

“It can be a really frustrating and galling experience for people.”

Many say it is ‘absolutely necessary’ in the crowded suburb. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

The law also serves to ensure a safe and fair use of public footpaths.

This comes after a Gold Coast mum was aghast when she received a near $200 fine for this exact mistake, parking on her own driveway.

The local council claims part of Megan Pass’s driveway is located on council land and she is breaking the law by parking on it.

“I had no idea,” she told the NewsWire.

“I find it ridiculous, I don’t have a footpath and I’ve never had anybody say anything.”

Another mum from Perth was also fined for parking on her driveway despite doing so for more than a year with no complaints.