An Ocean Shores resident says she is furious that council sent seven people to her local beach on Easter Sunday to fine people for ‘respectful’ parking.
The woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that she had angle parked her car at New Brighton.
‘They provide inadequate parking next to the dog beach and have said only parallel parking is allowed,’ she said. ‘That only fits three cars.’
‘Out of respect for everyone else also trying to attend the beach with their dogs and children, people park on an angle so more cars can fit.’
The woman said they were fining everyone on an angle. ‘Not because we were blocking anyone’s driveway or doing anything even remotely wrong other than parking on an angle instead of parallel to allow more people to fit.
‘They have come along on Easter Sunday with seven staff, a few walking around on the ground and another three in a car driving around. They started fining families $112. It’s disgusting and a complete waste of time.
The woman said she spoke to the staff about wrecking a perfectly good holiday. ‘I said, “you’ve got to be kidding me! You’re really going around fining people on Easter Sunday when they’re just trying to spend time with their families?” I said ” you provide inadequate parking here, so we park on an angle so that more cars can fit in. We’re just being respecting of the people that live in the area”. And he said, “You’re disrespecting the people who live here because they’re the ones that ring and complain”.’
‘I’m a local, that’s why we all park that way, so that we can all still take our dogs to the beach. I just think it’s super mean spirited of them.
‘They have just ruined so many people’s Easter, it’s awful!’
How much did it cost council to send 7 staff out on Easter Sunday to issue fines of $112. Did they make their quota to cover the wages? Perhaps a freedom of information request to council to expose the terrible management
The local people complain! Hah!
The local people complain about the signage council put there. The only locals who live there are bushrats. Or uber entitled rich folk.
The houses here are mostly holiday lets.
So council is now degrading otself to lying?
And revenue raising ? On easter sunday. You guys are so rude. BSC IS A CORPORATION AND DISPLAYING PSYCHOPATHIC TENDENCIES!
it seems the people parking on an angle were doing the RIGHT THING – the council should change the parking to ‘angle parking’ and retroactively give the Easter group a bye…
If there were more off leash dog areas there would be less pressure on the New Brighton area. Lengthen the Brunswick Heads off leash area, the parking spaces are more plentiful down there. Don’t pick on easy targets, fine the illegal campers who are trashing up the shire. In fact fine all early model white vans !!!
the parking people turn a blind eye then come by and take advantage of allowing relaxed parking much of it in places and ways that we have parked for many years causing absolutely no danger or obstruction to the public in any way. My fine was $236 opposite Santos at Byron A&I. I advise anyone with a ticket to contest it on line. BSC please have a chat with the parking enforcement employees.
They did the same to my family on Boxing Day in this same location. I believe the new parallel parking signs had only been in place for a few days when they issued us the $112 fine within 10 minutes of us arriving at the dog beach. I am still fuming about that ticket because I believe they deliberately target people on public holidays because they know the revenue opportunities will be increased on these busy days. Shame on you Byron Council, yet again!
if the sign said parallel parking then you park parallel. If the sign says angle parking then park at an angle. Easy, just read the signs! No one is above the law.
What better day for council parking rangers to be out than over Easter when all our towns are swamped with tourists. Many couldn’t care less about parking across our driveways and on any bit of open space regardless of the dangers or what the signs say. If council aren’t out on these peak holiday times then they are not doing their job when they are most needed.
Unfortunately it takes a fine to get some people to obey the laws. Most locals are pretty aware when the rangers are out and don’t risk it. I live in Brunswick and our street constantly has Qld plated cars illegally parked on it causing serious safety and amenity issues. Myself and neighbours regularly ring the rangers to get these inconsiderate drivers booked in the hope they will start abiding by the local regulations.
Good on you parking rangers for getting out there when you are most needed and for acting when locals call on you to keep our streets safe. The added revenue is also a bonus to our cash strapped shire that has few other ways of getting revenue from tourists.
If you really think you are doing the right thing by parking against the signage and it makes sense, take it up with council as from my experience they are trying to maximise the number of parking spots as many of these will be future paid parking zones.