Wyndham council is owed $6 million in unpaid parking fines and other infringements.
The figure is up on the $5.29 million that was owed at the end of the 2015-16 financial year.
Wyndham chief financial officer Binda Gokhale said the $6 million represented all outstanding local law fines for 2016-17.
“Aside from parking fines, the most common overdue infringement notices in Wyndham relate to animal management and local laws,” Ms Gokhale said.
“These fines are often for unregistered or wandering pets and other issues such as poorly maintained properties.”
Infringement notice options include paying the fine in full, asking to have the fine internally reviewed, having the matter heard in court or applying for a payment plan.
If the fine is not paid within 28 days and the person it was issued to does not contact the council, a reminder notice is sent.
After a further 28 days, if the fine remains unpaid and the debtor still has not contacted the council, the council refers the matter to the Infringements Court.
The person can also face further financial penalties if they do not pay the amount they owe.
“Where a person has multiple outstanding infringements, council can refer these debts to the Magistrates Court,” Ms Gokhale said.
She said it was important that people paid fines as early as they possibly could.
“If you are having difficulty paying for an infringement, you can apply for an extension or request to establish a payment plan,” Ms Gokhale said.
