DRIVER CONTESTING $100 FINE FOR PARKING ON LAWN
A SOUTHPORT resident is in a fight with Gold Coast City Council after being slugged $100 for having his car parked next to his letterbox.
Scott Whiting noticed the ticket soon after washing one of his cars before 9am on Sunday, October 8.
He said he parked the car on the nature strip that morning because his street, Charlton Street, was a noted rat run and previously he had pulled two people out of their cars after crashes.
“They have tried a number of traffic calming measures for a huge expense and nothing has helped,” Mr Whiting said.
“As a matter of safety we often park our car on the lawn because there is a risk of getting hit. I thought it was a cheap shot from council.”
However, he is getting little sympathy from his area councillor.
“They just can’t park on the nature strip, it’s as simple as that,” said Councillor Dawn Crichlow. “If there is a need for extra car parking they need to buy something with a double garage or rent something with a double garage because then you’ve always got the third car in front of that. I don’t think there is any excuse for it.”
Nearly 3400 Gold Coasters have been fined for parking on the nature strip out the front of their homes this year.
Residents in Robina, Palm Beach, Southport, Burleigh Heads and Biggera Waters are the worst offenders.
One of Mr Whiting’s Charlton St neighbours said a number of her children had been fined for parking out the front of her home.
“There is not enough room for all the kids to park their cars in the driveway,” she said.
“But I don’t think the kids realised it was illegal.”
Council officers have issued 143,056 for illegal parking across the Gold Coast this year. The top five offences are non/expired payment, exceeding the time limit in a non-paid parking area, exceeding the time limit in a paid parking area, stopping on a yellow line and no stopping sign.