Most fined school zones revealed: Principals ask rangers to catch parents

Illegal parking in school zones has added more than $62.5 million to government coffers over the past six years, and drivers in the north shore and eastern suburbs are among the worst offenders.

The scarcity of parking around schools has led to conflict across Sydney and councils are deploying rangers to catch parents during pick-up and drop-off times.

Council rangers issued 175,682 parking fines to drivers in school zones between January 2017 and May 2023, and NSW Police added 30,281 to the tally over the same period.

The most fines were given to drivers in Canterbury-Bankstown, Parramatta and Georges River. However, these local government areas have more school campuses than other councils.

On a parking fine per school measure, Willoughby, Lane Cove and Ryde top the list, followed by Georges River and Woollahra council areas for illegal parking around schools.

Woollahra mayor Susan Wynne said most schools had detailed plans to manage traffic such as Kiss and Go zones or staggered school drop-off and pick-up times.

But Wynne said some parents seemed to think it was acceptable to flout road rules around schools. “I am astounded when I see parents pull up illegally, let their children get out of the car and run across roads.”

School zones in Bellevue Hill, which include The Scots College Preparatory School and Bellevue Hill Public School, have had the most penalty notices issued in the past year.

Wynne said some principals had even contacted the council to request rangers to stop parents parking across driveways or parking in No Stopping zones. “People can be very selfish when dropping off children.”

Wynne said the state government should encourage greater use of public transport by providing free travel for all students regardless of their proximity to the school.

The difficulties in finding parking around schools have led to conflict with residents frustrated by congestion during pick-ups and drop-offs.

The City of Sydney will also deploy more parking inspectors around the exclusive private school SCEGGS Darlinghurst in a bid to address simmering conflict over traffic congestion, parking and major construction work.

More council rangers will be deployed around SCEGGS Darlinghurst in a bid to address simmering conflict over traffic congestion.Credit: Edwina Pickles

A council spokesman said increasing the presence of rangers around the school during afternoon pick-up times was aimed at improving compliance, especially given the changes to parking arrangements in the area.

“Either one or two rangers on foot or a mobile unit will patrol the streets around SCEGGS between 2:30pm and 4:00pm in response to community concerns about traffic during school pick-up,” he said.

Neighbours of the exclusive private school, including residents of The Horizon, the Harry Seidler-designed residential tower, say parents routinely parked in bus zones and refused to move when requested.

The dispute was exacerbated last month when council authorised changes to parking on Forbes Street to facilitate the school’s Wilkinson House redevelopment, which was approved by the state government despite opposition from residents.

SCEGGS Darlinghurst head Jenny Allum said the school welcomed the council rangers “who come to book people parked in the drop-off/pick-up zones outside the school”.

Tension between the school and its neighbours last year led to police patrolling school drop-offs and pick-ups.

SCEGGS also agreed to hire a traffic warden to help supervise parents collecting their kids.

Allum said she wanted residents and visitors to have parking, “but I also need to run the school”.

SCEGGS Darlinghurst employs a traffic warden to monitor parents picking up children.Credit: Edwina Pickles

Conflicts between private schools and residents over building works and school pick-ups and drop-offs have occurred in other parts of Sydney too.

Cranbrook School’s new sporting facilities triggered a diplomatic stoush last year with Japan’s Consul-General who said the school’s proposed operating hours would “negatively impact the functionality of our official residence”.

Cranbrook’s senior school opened an internal “kiss and drop” driveway last year and has extended the school day to enable students to start early and finish later.

Plans to build new classrooms and a dance academy at Pymble Ladies’ College were condemned by residents and a local council that said it would worsen traffic congestion.

Trinity Grammar School’s expansion of its Summer Hill campus also prompted concerns about traffic congestion and the safety of pedestrians on nearby streets.

Inner west residents also warned narrow streets around St Aloysius’ College’s new campus in Rozelle would become gridlocked during school drop-off and pick-up times.

In Darlinghurst, residents such as Tim Brooker want construction trucks to leave the SCEGGS school via St Peters Street – a small road closed almost two decades ago to curb street prostitution in the area.

“Basically if all the trucks are allowed to depart from the site fully laden travelling via the steep uphill section of Forbes Street, the noise impacts will be horrendous for the residents living there,” he said.

Independent MP Alex Greenwich said the council should consider reopening the street permanently once SCEGGS’ building project is completed.

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