THE State Government has announced plans to reform the ticketless parking fine system utilised by some local councils across the state, including Nambucca Valley Council.

A key criticism of the existing ticketless system is that drivers can be fined multiple times for the same offence before they become aware of the first infringement.

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Premier Chris Minns said drivers “deserve better” than the current process.

“Too many motorists have driven off with no idea they might be liable for a parking fine.

“This system was introduced by the former government without enough protections for drivers.”

Legislation now set to be introduced will require councils to attach an on-the-spot fine notification to a vehicle.

Councils will be required to take photos of offences, even if they use the traditional ‘ticketed’ method, and make them available for Revenue NSW to provide to drivers.

Additionally the legislation will limit the circumstances where an on-the-spot notification is not required to be left by a parking officer, for example, where it is hazardous or unsafe for them to do so.

‘Repeat’ ticketless parking fines will also be invalidated.

The requirement to issue an on-the-spot notification will not apply to a limited number of parking zones, such as enclosed parking areas that use licence plate recognition technology, and in national parks with limited mobile phone connectivity.

Across NSW, Councils issued 822,310 ticketless parking fines in 2023/24, up 49 percent from 551,441 issued in 2022/23.

The overwhelming majority of ticketless parking fines in NSW are for offences in council-operated parking facilities.

The parking fine reforms will apply to facilities operated by councils, NSW Government agencies and universities.

“No one ever likes to get a parking fine, but the idea you only find out about a fine weeks later doesn’t pass the common sense test,” said Minister for Finance Courtney Houssos.

“Setting new, higher standards for parking fines, including rules about invalidating unfair fines, is the right thing to do and goes a long way to re-building community trust.”

NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury commended the government for addressing the “increasingly unpopular ticketless parking fine system adopted by dozens of councils”.

“Motorists who abuse the limited public parking spaces available obviously deserve to be fined, however ticketless parking fines removed transparency and made it almost impossible for motorists to contest their fine if they felt they had a legitimate case.”

In March, Minister Houssos, responding to complaints from the public, wrote to NSW councils using the ticketless fines system to request that they change their practice and leave a paper ticket when fines were issued.

In May of 2024, Nambucca Valley Council rangers fined 187 motorists for parking incorrectly or for too long, resulting in a total revenue from traffic violations of $22,395.

This figure is roughly equivalent to the entire year’s revenue for parking fines in the 2022/23 financial year.