Aussie councils slammed after huge spike in 'invisible' parking fines

The system has long been criticised by drivers, and now the state government is calling for it to be revised.

Joe Attanasio
·Senior Reporter
Updated ·4-min read
A paper ticket on the windscreen of a car and an infringement notice from Revenue NSW overlaid.
The distribution of ticketless parking fines has skyrocketed in NSW year on year, shocking new data has revealed. Source: Getty/Revenue NSW

Councils have been urged to "come to the table" and "deliver a solution which embraces transparency and fairness" after it was revealed the amount of ticketless parking fines handed down to unsuspecting drivers in one state has surged in the past financial year.

There was a whopping 49 per cent increase in NSW in the 2023-24 financial year when it came to the distribution of ticketless parking fines, new data has revealed, with 822,300 of the "invisible" infringements posted in 2023-24, compared to 551,400 in 2022-23.

The controversial system, which results in drivers only becoming aware of the fine weeks after the offence, was introduced by the previous Coalition state government. It has seemingly divided councils across the state, with some saying they'll continue only issuing on-the-spot fines, while others insisting they won't revert back unless they're made to.

Drivers on the other hand appear to be unanimous in their calls to have the system abolished. NSW Minister for Finance Courtney Houssos backed those calls and said the community feedback has been overwhelming in favour of councils providing drivers with on-the-spot notifications of parking fines.

Georges River Councillor Ashvini Ambihaipahar and an image of a no stopping sign.
Last month, Georges River Councillor Ashvini Ambihaipahar attracted a $238 ticketless fine after she was forced to pull over in a no-stopping zone to clear her foggy windscreen. Source: 9News

The ticketless system allows parking officers to "send details of a fine directly to Revenue NSW which then sends an infringement notice by post or the Service NSW app".

Often, it has meant drivers are blithely unaware of said fines for weeks after they were registered, meaning there's little proof remaining to defend themselves.

There is also less of a deterrent as drivers could conceivably commit several offences, racking up multiple fines before realising they had been charged. Housos urged councils to consider this notion while encouraging them to limit how frequently they execute the invisible fines.

A ranger is seen issuing a fine next to a still of a paper ticket.
The ticketless system has proven controversial across NSW since its introduction. Source: Northern Beaches Council/Facebook

"I’m grateful to the councils that have recognised the significant issues with the ticketless parking system introduced by the previous Liberal-National government," Houssos said.

"I have spoken to mayors and councils from across the state and many agree there is a fundamental issue with a failure to notify drivers at the time of the fine. Councils should come to the table and deliver a solution which embraces transparency and fairness.

Houssos added: "if councils aren’t willing to provide a common-sense fix, the NSW Government will step in and use our policy levers to ensure the ticketless parking fine system meets community expectations."

Recently, several major councils around Sydney moved to sending parking tickets through the mail, without leaving a penalty notice on the car at the time of the offence. In March, the state government stepped in and wrote to all 128 local councils asking them to halt the further adoption of ticketless scheme, and encouraged changes after a surge in revenue from fines delivered to unsuspecting motorists.

According to the letter written to councillors by Houssos, about 45 per cent of penalty notices issued in the state were parking infringements and 55 per cent of them had been administered via the ticketless system first introduced in May 2020.

Overall, council-issued parking fines in NSW, both ticketless fines and paper fines, increased by more than 110,000 — around nine per cent — between 2022-23 and 2023-24. Since March 2024, Houssos and Revenue NSW have engaged with councils to "understand how they use the ticketless parking fine system" and to share the minister's concerns about "its shortcomings".

As a result, 30 councils across the state have said they have already, or plan to, adjust their operations to leave an instant, on-the-spot notification to drivers.

Others say they won't revert unless compelled through legislative change.

In the Blacktown, Hunters Hill, Mosman and Waverley LGAS, councils chose not to adopt the paperless scheme, but in North Sydney, the council said it had no plans to return to it.

The City of Sydney, which incorporates the CBD and surrounds, said it was reviewing the scheme in June. In Sydney's west, the Canterbury-Bankstown Council said it would continue posting fines or issuing a notification card at the officers' discretion. In 2023, paperless fines pulled in $139 million across the state, Revenue NSW data revealed.

The councils where rangers barely ever left physical tickets mainly included the City of Sydney, North Sydney, Northern Beaches, Burwood, Penrith, Hornsby, and Camden.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.

Latest stories