Paperless parking fine tickets scrapped by NSW government in major win for drivers
The unpopular system was introduced by the Coalition Government in 2020 during the COVID pandemic.
At the time, it was argued it would protect parking wardens, but critics and advocates argued the measure was unfair, with many Sydneysiders finding out they had been slugged with a parking fine long after they had committed the alleged offence.
The measure remained in place after COVID restrictions were rolled back in 2022.
Last year, the state government passed legislation to formally outlaw the practice with the measures coming into effect on Tuesday.
This was despite some councils saying the measures could expose parking wardens to violence, but state finance minister Courtney Houssos told state parliament last November the lack of deterrent was a reason to scrap the paperless system.
Under the return to paper based ticketing, wardens are required to attach a parking fine notification to the window of the vehicle, and a screenshot sent to Revenue NSW, with the driver allowed to see the ticket if it is requested by the driver.
Parking fines are also required to be sent out no later than seven days after the offence if a notification was not attached to the vehicle.
The state government said Revenue NSW worked with councils, the NRMA, the United Services Union and advocacy groups to ensure the technical capability to enable the reforms was done as soon as possible.
They also acknowledged councils would have had to have retrained officers and to purchase handheld printing devices and cameras, something the government says was a reason for the eight month grace period between the legislation being passed and it taking effect on Tuesday.
Research conducted by the Minns Government has revealed in the period from the 1 January to 30 June 2024, councils issued 435,363 ticketless fines.
From 1 January to 20 June 2025, councils issued only 371,565 ticketless fines, a drop of around 15 per cent.
The same research revealed that in the first half of this year, Canterbury Bankstown Council in Sydney's western suburbs, issued fewer than 6,000 ticketless fines in the first half of 2025, compared to 28,000 the year before.
Comparing 2024 to 2025, the total number of fines issued by Canterbury-Bankstown dropped from 34,343 to 21,367.
Sky News Australia contacted other councils across the Greater Sydney region for comment on whether they had begun to drop ticketless parking fines and whether they would comply with the change in legislation.
This followed state government research that showed councils on the north shore and Northern beaches were using parking fines to top up their coffers following budget blow outs on major infrastructure projects.
A spokesperson for Hornsby Shire Council, which collected over $2,000,000 in fines said they would get back.
The same was also true of North Sydney council, which collected under $8.7 million in parking fines under the ticketless system.
Bathurst Council in the state's Central West confirmed that they would be complying in full with the legislation, and in the past two months, had issued 17 fines.
The council which collected the most parking fines was the City of Sydney Council, controlled by Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
She has tussled with the state government in the past, most notably on attempts by the Minns Government plans to revive Sydney's ailing nightlife and to use part of Moore Park Golf Course for Housing.
A City of Sydney spokeswoman confirmed the council would begin to issue 'paper fines' from today, 'in line with NSW government regulations'.
Ms Moore had previously refused to comply, with one parking machine, near Sydney Harbour collecting over $200,000 in the past financial year, the highest in Sydney.
From today, council rangers will be required to leave an on-the-spot notification for anyone fined – except in very limited circumstances.
Ms Houssos said the move marked the end to the paperless ticketing system which formally ended on Tuesday.
'Today marks the end of the previous government's unfair ticketless parking fine system,' she said.
'People shouldn't be caught by a surprise parking ticket weeks after the fact. These commonsense changes bring fairness and transparency back to the system.'
NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury also welcomed the fact ticketless parking fines are finally banned.
'People deserve to know when and why they're being fined — and to have a fair chance to challenge it if needed,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
$7 or less: Maccas' big promise to Aussies
McDonald's will lock its prices on a range of popular menu items for 12 months in a bid to keep cost-conscious customers rolling through its stores. CEO Joe Chiczewski announced the price lock on Thursday, casting it as a move to help Australians power through the cost-of-living crisis that has crushed spending power for millions in the aftermath of Covid. 'In today's cost-of-living climate, we know the promise of value matters more than ever to our fans across Australia,' he said. 'My commitment to Australian customers is clear, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, you can count on us for great value at Macca's.' The price lock is for the McSmart Meal, which includes two hamburgers, fries and a drink for $6.95. Prices on the Loose Change menu, all set at $4 or below, will also remain in place for 12 months. The McDonald's McSmart Meal will be price locked at $7 for 12 months. Supplied Credit: News Corp Australia Sausage McMuffins will sell for $4, hamburgers will go for $2, frozen cokes for $1 and soft serve ice creams for 50c. The company sells more than 600,000 McSmart Meals a week, Mr Chiczewski said. 'It's also available at every single one of our locations nationwide, whether you're dining in, driving-thru, or ordering through the MyMacca's app,' he said. 'No gimmicks, no catches, just real McDonald's value.' McDonald's Australia, a division of the larger New York-listed McDonald's Corp, boast 1050 restaurants nationwide. It has been operating in Australia since 1971, when its burgers sold for 20c. McDonald's Australia CEO Joe Chiczewski said the price lock was part of a commitment to keep his restaurants 'accessible and affordable'. Supplied Credit: News Corp Australia Mr Chiczewski said keeping its products 'accessible and affordable' had remained a constant for the business. 'Like many Australian businesses, we've experienced rising costs over the past five years, driven by inflation and other economic factors,' he said. 'And yes, that means some of our menu prices have increased – we're not denying this. 'However, our focus and commitment remain unchanged, keeping our menu as accessible and affordable as possible for our customers. 'Our price promise on the McSmart Meal and Loose Change Menu is at the core of this commitment and ensures we can keep serving up Macca's favourites for less.'
SBS Australia
5 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Fiji's Prime Minister wants to see closer co-operation with Australia
Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is paying a visit to Australia. In his speech at the National Press Club in Canberra, he called for Australia to sign a formal treaty with Fiji as a way of strengthening co-operation between the two countries. But that is only one layer of the diplomatic canvas to this relationship in what seem to be unstable times. "Unfortunately for now I contest the outlook is more uncertain that any time since independence 1970." Australia and Fiji already have the Vuvale partnership, which uses the Fijian word for 'family' and signals a commitment to closer co-operation. But Fiji's Prime Minister says he wants to go further in this friendship. "Perhaps we have reached a point in our Fiji-Australian relationship where our renewed and elevated Vuvale partnership needs a further step up to an agreement or treaty." The 76-year-old says a treaty, which would incorporate development assistance, would secure ties beyond what he called "the political whims of winning parties" in elections in both countries. Mr Rabuka is even open to its citizens filling the ranks of Australia's military. The news come as Canberra is pursuing a defence treaty with Papua New Guinea that would make its citizens eligible to serve in the Australian Defence Force. But the contest for influence involves also other players across the Pacific. And as the battle for regional supremacy in defence unfolds, Mr Rabuka rules out hosting any Chinese military base. "I do not believe that China would even need a base in the have proven that they do not need a base outside China to be able to launch what they have into any other area of the world. They can go east of China and far go as far east in America as they like, or go west and go far to the furthest point in Europe as they like. So there is really no need for them to set up any other bases in the Pacific." SBS reporter Anna Henderson was at the National Press club and asked the Fijian Prime Minister about the country's relationship with China. HENDERSON: "What security role do you see China playing in Fiji?"RABUKA: "Right now we are having to cope with a China that is big and has gotten powerful and would probably like to spread its influence to the Pacific. The Pacific leaders in all the recent discussions have tried to go for policies that are friendly to all and enemy to none. It is a fairly tough goal to steer, but it is possible." It comes at a time when the region is feeling the pressure over preparations to deal with China's ambitions in Taiwan. The island of Taiwan is the subject of a geopolitical dispute between the Republic of China, which controls it, and the People's Republic of China - mainland China - which claims it as part of its territory. Mr Rabuka says the world has to plan ahead for a possible escalation on the conflict in the region. "We have to plan on yes, on the possibility of it happening, and those that can be involved need to be planning already in that area. I think China is ready, I think the rest of the world is also ready." But while in Australia, Fiji's prime minister made a point of showing his ties with the country. He brought a bottle of wine made from grapes grown in South Australia and said he was committed to increasing economic opportunities between the two countries. "We have a Fiji winemaker using Barossa grapes" The relationship ageing well, but the challenges are mounting.
West Australian
9 hours ago
- West Australian
Kanye West: Ye barred from Australia over anti-Semitism after song release
Kanye West has officially been banned from Australia after the recent release of an anti-Semitic song, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has revealed. The American rapper, who has now legally changed his name to Ye and is married to Australian designer Bianca Censori, had a tourist visa used to visit family here, but officials cancelled it after he released a song called Heil Hitler in May. 'He's been coming to Australia for a long time… and he's made a lot of offensive comments,' Mr Burke said. 'But my officials looked at it again once he released the Heil Hitler song, and he no longer has a valid visa in Australia.' West's song, initially released on social media platform X, was banned from YouTube and Spotify. Mr Burke said Australia's immigration law 'draws a stricter line' depending on the purpose of the visa. He said the West case was the only occasion he could think of where someone's visa had been cancelled over anti-Semitism when the visa class wasn't for public advocacy, such as a lecture tour. 'We have a problem in Australia with anti-Semitism. We have a problem in Australia with Islamophobia. We have a problem with a range of forms of bigotry,' he said. 'I think that what's not sustainable is to import hatred. Some people say, 'Oh, don't you believe in freedom of speech' and for Australian citizens, yeah, you've got full freedom of speech – but we have enough problems in this country already without deliberately importing bigotry.' The Government contemplated barring the rapper in 2023 over anti-Semitic comments. Cabinet minister Jason Clare said at the time that people who had made similar comments had had visas denied and he expected West would face the same scrutiny. Then-opposition leader Peter Dutton said at the time his 'inclination would be not to allow him in'.
