Parking rangers turn greedy By MARK SKELSEY Urban Affairs Editor August 8, 2005 The Daily Telegraph
COUNCILS are reaping booming parking fine revenues, amid claims their rangers are becoming over-zealous and working to ticket quotas and daily street patrol regimes.
Council rangers took over parking enforcement from the State Government's "grey ghosts" back in 2002.
There are now increasing claims that rangers in general are more aggressive, mobile and better equipped than their predecessors.
An analysis of council annual reports by The Daily Telegraph shows that increased patrols are directly linked to improved revenue.
Hornsby Council's 2004 financial statement said parking fine revenue was 45 per cent over the budgeted amount, raising an additional $296,000, due to "increased patrolling".
North Sydney saw its overall fine revenue jump from $3.8m in 2003 to $7m in 2004.
The council's auditor said this came from "additional revenue from parking infringements, the result of increased compliance".
The council's 2005 management plan has a performance target of "twice daily patrols of main-flow traffic areas", with schools patrolled three times a week.
Parramatta Council's 2004 audit report said a "greater than anticipated number of parking infringements" raised $1.137 million extra.
Others to record parking fine revenue in 2004 well above budget predictions were Warringah, Bankstown, Penrith, Pittwater, Willoughby, Kogarah, Hurstville and Randwick.
Canada Bay Council's 2005 management plan, adopted in June, sets a target of 4000 infringements a year for residential areas with time-restricted parking.
Pyrmont Ultimo Chamber of Commerce president Barry Goldman said rangers had been patrolling the region's main spine, Harris St, every day for the past 25 days.
He said several years ago rangers only patrolled once a week, but now were "raising revenue" in the area.
He said the council should be providing off-street parking, not making money from fines.
The mayor of an inner-Sydney council fired a tongue-in-cheek barb at his own rangers for allegedly having "sadistic zeal", after his mayoral car was fined for being in a "no parking" zone.
Ashfield Mayor Rae Jones made the comment in a July 26 local newspaper column, telling people about new, higher parking fines which came into force on July 1.
Mr Jones told The Daily Telegraph the statement was an attempt at humour and that, in fact, he did support his council rangers.
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