A state government plan to cut parking fines would cost Wagga City Council about $20,000 in the next six months – but only if councillors decide to opt in.
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In a letter to council, NSW Treasurer Dominic Perottet said the state’s parking fines were currently higher than not only cities in Australia, but overseas as well, and cited Melbourne, Brisbane, London and New York as places where fines were lower.
Councillors will discuss the issue at their meeting on Monday night.
The government has decided to reduce parking fines by 25 per cent from $112 down to $80, with Mr Perrottet said councils initially had until January 1 to opt into the plan to cut them.
Councils do have an alternative to opt in at a later date.
If council decides to lower parking fines in Wagga, the new lower penalty would apply from March 1, 2019.
According to council staff, about 45 per cent of the parking fines currently issued by Wagga parking rangers fall into the category which Mr Perrottet is proposing to reduce.
The government will be creating a register of all the councils who have decided to opt in – or not.