The unanimous decision to join the state government’s new initiative to make parking fines fairer was made at Yass Valley Council’s ordinary meeting on December 19.

Councillors were recommended to vote in favour of the decision, based on the fact that “parking fines are not a revenue raising exercise for council,” an early council report said.

If parking fines were a revenue raising exercise, council would have accumulated a grand total of zero in the past 12 months. The council issued no infringement notices in the period, only one green ‘warning notice’.

Perhaps even more surprising is that parking inspections do happen in Yass.

“Parking inspections occur randomly throughout the year, but focus on busy periods, such as Christmas,” a council spokesperson said.

“Disability and no stopping zones are checked whenever staff are in the main business area,” they said.

The council’s ranger takes “a community-minded approach,” according to the council spokesperson.

“We find that a simple reminder notice on cars acts as enough of a deterrent and reminds residents about using common courtesy when parking in the main street,” they said.

It’s not unusual for small, country towns to have more relaxed parking patrols.

Our neighbouring council, the Upper Lachlan Shire (ULS), also issued zero parking infringements in the past 12 months and will decide at its ordinary meeting on February 21 whether to opt into the government initiative.

In stark contrast, Goulburn Mulwaree Council issued approximately 900 infringement notices in the past nine months and has decided not to reduce parking fines.

General manager Warwick Bennett said the council previously agreed with the business community that greater policing was needed in the city’s CBD. It has since employed a full-time parking ranger.

“It’s important we keep the flow turning over so we could see no benefit in reducing fines,” he told the Goulburn Post.

He reported that the council had budgeted to collect $55,000 in parking fines this financial year. Up until November 30, rangers had collected $30,600, with the largest amount ($9644) in September. This compared to $3100 collected in July. The State takes $17.80 out of each fine.