Neighbour's divisive bin act reveals little-known $136 parking offence
The woman, whose neighbour broke the parking rule, was accused of having an ulterior motive when she decided to take action.
A resident who claims her neighbour commits a little-known parking offence most days has decided to take matters into her own hands, and Aussies are divided about whether they support her actions.
The NSW woman explained her neighbour's car is often parked too close to where a fire hydrant lies just below the curb, which is marked by spray-painted H outside her Newcastle home. She said her bins are usually blocked every week by the car as well.
"It's illegal to park within a metre of a fire hydrant (which is clearly marked on the curb and road) but every Thursday this turkey parks in front of my bins," she wrote on social media. "Tonight I had to put my yellow bin up against his tailgate."
Drivers can cop hefty fines for little-known parking offence
It is illegal to park within one metre of a fire hydrant in Australia. This rule is in place to ensure access to the fire hydrant if emergency services or other authorised people should require it, with drivers in NSW facing a $136 fine, or maximum of $2,200 if they don't comply.
South Australian drivers can be fined $198 for the same offence, while Queenslanders cop a $120 fine.
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Danny Gorog, the CEO and Founder of Snap Send Solve, told Yahoo News "fire hydrants are a crucial part of city infrastructure and our shared spaces" and therefore we should obey the road rule.
"It's important for everyone in the community to work together to ensure that fire hydrants and emergency access points are always clear and accessible to protect each other during emergencies," he said.
"The one-metre rule is in place to allow sufficient space for the fire department to manoeuvre around a hydrant and efficiently connect their equipment."
Aussies divided over resident's bin act
After sharing her dilemma online, many agreed it is indeed illegal to park in front of access points to fire hydrants. However, others questioned why she felt the need to go out of her way, claiming she was instead being a "pest" because she didn't want her neighbour to park outside her home.
"You don't own the road in front of your house," one Aussie said, while another confessed their own family likely committed this offence. "I have a hydrant in my front yard. There is always a car parked in front of it," she wrote.
Snap Send Solves is an app that allows Aussies to report neighbourhood issues to authorities, with a parking offence like this a prime example of what residents can utilise it for, Gorog told Yahoo.
"Once 'Snappers' report an issue, the system automatically notifies the relevant local authorities to take action. This is based on the geographical location of the image," he explained.
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