Wyndham council is handing out 91 parking fines a day on average and has almost surpassed the entire number of fines given out last year in just five months.
Figures obtained by Star Weekly reveal that 14,554 parking fines totalling $955,254 were issued across the city between January 1 and June 8. Point Cook’s Main Street, Watton Street in Werribee, Sayers Road in Truganina, the Tarneit train station access road and the Hoppers Crossing Shopping Centre carpark are parking fine hotspots.
In comparison, the council slapped drivers with 17,751 fines for the entire year in 2017, bringing in more than $1.48 million.
The council has received more than $3.88 million from parking fines since January 1, 2015.
According to the council’s financial management quarterly report for March, the council partially attributes its $18.7 million surplus position to an “increased focus on local law enforcement resulting in higher statutory fees and fines, mainly in traffic management and prosecutions”.
Wyndham city operations director Stephen Thorpe said the number of fines issued was comparable to those of other similar-sized municipalities.
Mr Thorpe said the council employed four dedicated parking officers, who are deployed to locations across the city in response to requests or complaints from the community and to areas experiencing high levels of parking issues.
Meanwhile, the council will shut down its 77-space Gateway carpark on the corner of Synnot Street and Duncans Road in October to make way for the construction of its first catalyst site, a $49.5 million 12-storey hotel, education precinct and carpark development.
Mr Thorpe said the council created two carparks totalling 351 spaces – at Cherry Street and the top end of Watton Street – so public parking was not reduced during construction of the catalyst sites.
