Melbourne CBD council rakes in $93MILLION in parking fines in just one year
- Five Melbourne councils collected $154million in parking revenue in 2018-19
- CBD the biggest revenue raiser with $93million raised in the last financial year
- City of Yarra and Port Phillip Councils also collected substantial revenue
Inner city Melbourne councils have collected up a combined $157.5million in parking fees and fines in the last financial year, new figures show.
The CBD is the biggest revenue raiser and accounted for nearly two thirds of the figure from the five councils, which increased by more than $20 million from 2017-18.
City of Melbourne alone raked in $93 million in parking fees and fines in 2018-19, which was an increase of $2million from the previous financial year, the Sunday Herald Sun reported.
This is despite a $6 million drop in infringement revenue overall.
Parking is at a premium in Melbourne’s CBD (pictured), where the City of Melbourne collected $93 million in parking fees and fines in the last financial year
The City of Port Phillip, which includes the popular seaside suburb of St Kilda, also increased its parking revenue to $30.3 million.
The City of Yarra, which includes the trendy suburbs of Collingwood, Fitzroy and Richmond, raised $26.25 million last financial year, compared to $24 million in 2017-18.
Darebin Council in Melbourne’s inner north collected $4.89 million in parking revenue in 2018-19 while in the south-west, Hobsons Bay raised a total $3.55 million.
Parking revenue for five inner Melbourne councils is up by almost $20 million combined
Reports of the rising revenue comes despite strategies by councils to encourage Melburnians to keep the car at home and use public transport more often.
Port Phillip Mayor Dick Gross said the overwhelming demand for parking was due to to the area’s booming residential and tourist populations.
‘Through the use of timed paid parking, council aims to achieve a fair turnover so as many people as possible can park, reducing congestion caused by drivers looking for a spot and improving access to businesses,’ he told the publication.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted City of Melbourne Council for comment.
The council states on its website it encourages a regular turnover of parking bays using a combination of different parking signage so Melburnians have ‘equal access to the limited supply of on-street parking.’
Fines range from $83 to $165 depending on the offence, which are set by the state government.
City of Melbourne, Yarra and Port Phillip Councils raked up millions in parking revenue