THE City of Whittlesea has announced it will revoke fines at recent local football matches, with community feedback driving the decision.
Forty-two fines of $627 each drove the decision after it was brought to the attention of City of Whittlesea CEO Dan Hogan. The infringements were issued throughout August, with local junior finals on.
In a City of Whittlesea statement, Mr Hogan said the fines were issued in line with the Council’s Community Local Law, but said the amount was too high for a parking offence.
“This infringement class is more suited for offences where driving or parking is causing damage rather than parking illegally. Having reviewed what occurred, Council has determined these parking offences do not warrant such a large fine,” he said.
The City of Whittlesea will now cancel the fines, and will also reimburse anyone who has paid them, while all infrangements will be reviewed since the Community Local Law came into effect from July 1, 2024.
“I appreciate the shock receiving a large fine can cause and I want to apologise for any distress this has caused,” Mr Hogan said.
“Council will contact affected individuals directly with information about the cancellation and reimbursement process.
“We will look at the circumstances and whether any damage was caused to warrant the larger fine. If not, we will look to cancel or issue an official warning.
“Parking rules are an important part of ensuring our roads and shared spaces are safe and accessible. They ensure emergency vehicles can get access, they ensure children can get to school safely, and they protect our open spaces and places from damage.
“We receive complaints daily from residents about people parking illegally, double parking, damaging trees, tearing up reserves, blocking driveways and blocking access for emergency vehicles and we need to respond to those.
“Our officers are out every day to ensure public safety and access, and we will continue to enforce parking regulations that are fair, reasonable and appropriate to the circumstances.”
