The best places to get stung for parking

COUNCIL made at least $9.4m from almost 120,000 parking fines in the last financial year.

Figures revealed to the Bulletin show that despite Covid restrictions, 117,916 parking penalty infringement notices were issued in the 12 months to the end of June 2021.

The minimum fine amount was $80.

One in three of the fines issued was at Surfers Paradise, where motorists were slugged with penalties on 39,875 occasions.

The next highest number was at Burleigh Heads, where 23,542 fines were issued, followed closely by Southport, with 23,442.

However, some suburbs saw hardly any fines issued, with ten or less parking infringement notices dished out in Merrimac, Maudsland, Elanora and Tallebudgera.

At Helensvale, where residents reacted angrily last week after councillor William Owen-jones warned people risked fines for parking on a footpath beside the local aquatic centre, just 27 fines were issued.

The cost of paying a parking ticket raised on March 1, with a general parking fine now $92. The fine for parking on a yellow line has risen to $172, while parking on a footpath could set you back $275.

Ally Hundy, from Rathdowney, said she would be “cautious” about visiting the Gold Coast again after being issued with a parking fine in January.

Ms Hundy copped the fine after parking on Connor St in Burleigh.

“We were down there because it was school holidays and we went and saw my stepson who was working just around the corner,” Ms Hundy said. “It’ll make us cautious about coming back.”

Ms Hundy’s bank records showed she made two payments to council, at 11.45am and 12.41pm. However, the fine was issued at 12.13pm and council said it only had a record of the second payment.

“If we hadn’t paid for the parking I’d accept it,” Ms Hundy said.

“However I have black and white documentation from