Man fined for parking on nature strip at the front of his house

A Toowoomba man has been fined for parking his car in a spot many would consider as normal - but the Government doesn’t.

Jock Jackson was fined by the Toowoomba Regional Council after he parked his vehicle on the nature strip in front of his house.

TOOWOOMBA locals have been left scratching their heads after a man was fined for parking in front of his house.

Jock Jackson said he parked his car for two hours on the nature strip – free of a footpath – for two hours while he went to the shops, and was shocked to find a fine on not just his car, but others down the street.

“I live in a share house so there’s not enough space for all of us to park in the driveway,” he said.

“Our street (in Newtown), is too narrow. If you have two cars parked on the street, no one can go down the middle.

“This is a quiet street, but we dont have any other parking spaces.”

Mr Jackson said though he was now aware, he had been unaware the action was illegal.

“There’s just not enough room,” he said.

“No one had warned us about it, so maybe they could have done that and let us know before we all got fined.

“It’s not like we’ve parked in a signed No-Park zone.”

Mr Jackson took to Facebook to ask other locals if they knew of the rule.

Many were left confused by the Toowoomba Regional Council’s actions.

“Surely if you’re expected to mow and maintain this area, you can park on it,” Mr Jackson said.

The Toowoomba Regional Council recently distributed phamplets on numerous busy streets, including Ramsey Street, alerting locals to the rules.

“Council has discretionary authority to regulate illegal parking in these areas, (on behalf of the state government), and responds to calls regarding the issue,” Toowoomba Regional Council Environmnt and Community Services Committee chair Cr James O’Shea said.

“Under uniform road rules it is an offence for a motor vehicle to stop on a footpath/strip or across a driveway in a built-up area unless there are permissible parking signs or hard bay surfaces are constructed for parking.

“People who park across or block driveways, footpaths and bikeways create a safety hazard for other road users.

“It especially impedes visibility for pedestrians or any people who use footpaths (mobility scooters).

“It also has the potential to impede emergency services and other essential services that are delivered to properties.

“Council has less tolerance for motorists who ignore this rule in the 3P Central Traffic Area. Where no parking signage exists, parking on streets in that boundary automatically defaults to three hour parking and will attract a fine if exceeded, payable within 28 days.”

The full 3P Central Traffic Area map can be viewed here.

Toowoomba Regional Council's 3P Central Traffic Area.