CATTERY FAREWELLS A LEGEND FIGHTING PARKING FINES PAYS OFF

Council slaps $3.5m in fines on drivers in a year

GEELONG motorists are successfully dodging almost one in every five disputed parking fines.

But the City of Greater Geelong is issuing an average of 100 parking infringements every day of the year.

More than 1200 drivers successfully challenged about 7000 appealed parking fines last financial year, Geelong council has revealed.

Parking officers kept busy throughout the 12-month period, issuing 35,399 parking infringements. The CoGG issued a total of $3.54 million in fines last financial year.

The city’s director planning, design and development Gareth Smith said there were many different reasons infringements were appealed, with a range of special circumstances taken into account.

“Special circumstances can include mental illness, disability, homelessness, family violence, among others, where they result in a person being unable to control conduct which constitutes an infringement,” Mr Smith said.

“We are always mindful of our residents’ individual circumstances when deciding whether it is appropriate to continue the enforcement process. Our officers use their discretionary powers in good faith.

“For example, if residents receive a parking ticket while using services in the medical precinct, near Geelong hospital or St John of God Hospital, they can request an attendance validation from Barwon Health, the Blood Bank or St John of God.

“This can be used in evidence by council to consider withdrawing the parking fine for compassionate reasons.”

Mr Smith said people wishing to appeal parking fines should make a submission to the council as quickly as possible, and provide all available relevant information and supporting documentation.

In June, the CoGG revealed a bungled Fines Victoria system cost the council about $650,000 in just 18 months.

Fines Victoria, which deals with processing and enforcing infringement notices and penalties for Geelong council, has been plagued by IT system issues since its introduction on December 31, 2017.

Victorian councils in June revealed the system had left them with shortfalls of millions of dollars in unpaid parking fines, with Geelong council’s bottom line impacted.

“Since Fines Victoria underwent its ‘significant transformation’ on 31 December 2017, the City of Greater Geelong has experienced a negative financial impact,” Mr Smith said earlier this year.

“The City of Greater Geelong has a cash flow shortfall of approximately $650,000 due to these issues.”

The council’s 2017/18 annual report showed the city was owed $7.759 million in unrecovered fines as at June 30, 2018.