Until late last month, City of Coffs Harbour (CoCH) rangers were still issuing ticketless parking fines, with many drivers unaware they had been penalised.

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Now, rangers stick a notification form on the windscreens of offending vehicles.

“The main problem with the practice used by the Coffs Harbour rangers is how fines are issued and how vehicles are identified as being illegally parked,” Mr Atkinson said.

“It appears… to be based on an assumption that a vehicle has not been moved to another parking space [if it is] in close proximity to where it was previously parked.

“It is my view that the Council needs to immediately cease the current ticketing practice and return all funds previously collected from the Coffs Harbour community, especially since the State Government’s announcement on 17 September.”

That was when NSW Premier Chris Minns announced reforms to the ticketless parking system, saying drivers deserved better.

He said new legislation would ensure drivers received on-the-spot notifications for parking fines, increasing fairness and transparency.

The proposed legislation is still before parliament.

Mr Atkinson said that when he raised the matter with CoCH rangers, he was assured the Licence Plate Recognition camera car that patrols local streets was “state of the art” and could recognise within two centimetres if a vehicle had been moved.

But he was then contacted a short time later by a CoCH representative, who conceded that “parking rangers erred in their duties in terms of not checking systems properly”, and that his partner would not be issued with a fine.

Mr Atkinson said he was “somewhat alarmed” and “bewildered” as to how a sticker was placed on his partner’s car telling her she would be fined, if in the end none was issued.

“I am concerned for other Coffs Harbour residents who may fall foul of this floored ticketing system and wonder how many other residents have been impacted thus far,” he said.

“I am wondering at what stage, if at all, was my partner going to be advised by Council that she did not incur a fine.”

According to a CoCH spokesperson, “the City’s compliance program involves the use of ticketless parking infringements and chalking tyres to monitor and enforce compliance parking in accordance with the road rules and signed parking controls.

“The use of ticketless parking infringements has been used for a number of years, including for more than twelve months in the City Centre.

“The City is aware of the proposed NSW Government draft reforms so that drivers receive on-the-spot notifications for parking fines.

“The City has taken the proactive step of providing notifications for timed parking offences in line with these draft reforms.”

Mr Atkinson has written to Cowper MP Pat Conaghan, Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh, and CoCH Mayor Councillor Nikki Williams to express his concerns.

In 2023-24, NSW councils issued 822,310 ticketless parking fines, up 49 percent from the 551,441 issued in 2022-23.

In the most recent publicly available information, City of Coffs Harbour reported parking fine revenue of $320,000 in 2023, compared to $228,000 in 2022 – a jump of nearly 30 percent.

By Mike HELY