Parking

NSW Police bear primary responsibility for upholding parking legislation across the State. In our local government area, Council shares responsibility with the NSW Police for enforcing parking regulations. Ensuring public safety and equitable access to parking is paramount in Council's commitment to enforcing parking rules and facilitating smooth traffic flow.

Parking is in high demand in the CBD areas of Ballina, Lennox Head and Alstonville. To ensure parking is available to everyone and access to local businesses is maintained, timed restrictions are in place in our town centres. Council Parking Officers and Rangers conduct regular patrols on foot and by vehicle using automatic number plate recognition, including on weekends. Disability parking spaces are carefully monitored to ensure individuals with disabilities have convenient access to facilities.

The safety of children and pedestrians around school zones is a primary aim of parking enforcement.  Children may often behave unpredictably and enforcement during School Zone times is an important contribution towards the safety of children.

Council’s School Zone Parking Program is a combination of education and enforcement and is conducted in all high risk school zones within the Shire. Council regularly liaises with school officials to ensure that safety messages are conveyed to those driving children to school.

• Safe Parking in School Zones flyer (pdf)
• Keeping Our Kids Safe Around Schools - Transport NSW factsheet (pdf)
• Common and recurring parking offences (pdf)
• NSW Road Rules

---

Parking Rules 

• Read all signs - regulated parking areas are clearly sign-posted to advise motorists of parking requirements for that particular area. Pay particular attention to multiple signs and time restrictions.
• No Parking - areas can be used for drop off and pick up of people or goods. However the driver must remain within 3 metres of the vehicle and not stay longer than 2 minutes.
• School Zones - Be aware of signage changes. For example, a parking area may become a Bus Zone during certain times of the day in school zones.
• No Stopping - Do not stop for any reason other than an emergency in a No Stopping zone, Taxi zone, Bus zone or on a yellow line painted on the side of the road.
• Loading Zones - are designated essentially for commercial vehicles such as vans, trucks etc. Be aware that sedans are only permitted to stop in a Loading Zone to drop off or pick up passengers. Trucks are limited to 30 minutes and other types of commercial vehicles including station wagons - to 15 minutes.
• Timed Parking - parking areas that are time restricted mean that the vehicle is only permitted to park in that parking area for the designated period time per day. For example, 2P means that the vehicle is entitled to 2 hours parking in this parking area per day; this does not mean that a vehicle can park for 2 hours in one parking spot, then move to another spot within the same area on the same day.
• Disabled Parking Areas - these areas are only for drivers displaying a valid Transport for NSW Mobility Parking Scheme permit on the vehicle. Disobeying this rule attracts a fine exceeding $644 and one demerit point.

If you require any further information Council Rangers can provide assistance. Parking fines may be placed under your windscreen or issued by mail by Revenue NSW.

---

Received a Parking Fine? 

Parking fines are set by State legislation and administration and recovery is conducted by Revenue NSW.

Enforcement commences with the issue of a fine which alleges that an offence has occurred. You have rights of review and appeal which can be exercised by asking Revenue NSW for a review or requesting that the matter be referred to a Local Court.

Once a fine has been issued Council will not entertain requests for review unless referred to Council by Revenue NSW. You have three choices to make once you have received a fine.

1. Pay the fine.
2. Request a review by Revenue NSW.
3. Have the matter decided by a Local Court.

Pay the fine

Please note that Council cannot accept any fine payments.

You must pay the fine within 21 days of receipt. Methods of payment are listed on the back of the fine and any further information can be obtained from the Revenue NSW website.

Methods of payment to Revenue NSW:

Phone                   1300 130 112

In person             Any Australia Post store or a Service NSW centre.

On Line                 revenue.nsw.gov.au/pay

                                Or

Pay via the Service NSW app.

Request a review by Revenue NSW

Follow the procedure set out on the back of the fine.

Have the matter decided by a Local Court

Follow the procedure set out on the back of the fine or go to Revenue NSW - myPenalty. After your Court election notice has been received by Revenue NSW you will receive a Court Attendance Notice to attend a Local Court on a certain date and time.

---

Resources

The following links provide detailed policy and legislative information: 

• Local Government Act 1993
• Road Transport Act 2013
• Roads Act 1993 
• Road Rules 2014
• Road Transport (General) Regulation 2021
• Roads Regulation 2018