Parramatta council could be forced to repay $6million in parking fines

A Sydney council may have to give back $6million of parking fines to constituents because they’ve been using industrial crayons to mark car tyres.

Parramatta councillor Benjamin Barrak has said that the council is using industrial crayons instead of chalk which goes against the parking policy. 

He said that if the motion passes the council would be forced to repay every parking fine handed out since it adopted the new policy in September last year, The Daily Telegraph reported.  

That would amount to 41,000 fines.   

The council will debate the motion at a meeting in June and if it gets up would take  $6milion out of the $245million annual revenue stream. 

Several councillors have labelled the upcoming debate as a waste of time but the council has already begun investigating the issue.

‘It appears that council officers have complied with the legislation however, this should be clarified by ­obtaining legal advice,’ a report on the matter, obtained by The Sunday Telegraph, stated. 

Council officers have said they want the debate to be postponed so a more in depth report into the issue can be conducted.   

Mr Barrak had recently had his own parking dispute with the council after he was fine for parking illegally. 

The motion is being supported by Liberal councillor Benjamin Barrak (pictured)

He claimed an associate moved his car after it had been marked with industrial crayon and that it was then moved back into the same spot. The council eventually withdrew the fine. 

It also comes a month after he lost a case against the council that stopped him form building a high-rise development in the area. 

If it had been approved he would have made millions from the development.  

Parramatta mayor Andrew Wilson merely said: ‘I stand by the professionalism of our parking officers.

‘We may have to look at this issue as it may require more research.’