Wyndham council has voted in favour of undertaking a three-month ‘blitz’ in enforcing fines for non-compliance with disabled parking regulations.
At the Tuesday 28 October council meeting, all councillors voted in favour of a report that recommended a crackdown on flouting the rules which will also run in tandem with a public education campaign.
The report found that council received 189 service requests related to disabled parking misuse in the last nine months to October, and that four per cent of all parking infringements in the 2024-25 financial year related to disabled parking spaces.
As part of the blitz, the council will also write to state MPs requesting their active support to promote the campaign through community engagement, newsletters, and social media platforms.
Council will also receive a follow-up report by March that will evaluate the effectiveness of the enforcement blitz and awareness campaign, including data on the infringements issued, community feedback results and recommendations for ongoing measures.
The concurrent education campaign conceived by council, which is yet to be defined or confirmed, proposes to include sharing lived experiences of residents with disabilities to foster empathy and respect.
Council will also consider using multiple communication platforms including council’s website, social media channels, local media, and prominent signage to push the message.
Cr Robert Szatkowski, who originally brought the blitz idea to the chamber at the September council meeting, said the campaign will be a way to protect the autonomy and mobility of residents.
“Disabled [parking] bays are about dignity and independence,” he said.
“It is about outcomes not revenue.”
Cr Szatkowski also said he thought the plan was practical and the right mix of enforcing fines and educating the community through human stories.
Cr Maria King echoed the sentiment, saying she was absolutely proud to support it.
“This is a practical step to building a more inclusive Wyndham.”
Cr Jennie Barrera also gave her approval, describing it as a way to ensure accountability and collect meaningful data.
This is the first awareness initiative related to disabled parking Wyndham has undertaken in more than 10 years, the last coming in August 2015.
