On Sunday November 23 2025 the Government stated its common-sense reforms to parking fines are delivering for the people of NSW with a reduction in ticketless fines by as much 99% in some council areas.
The data released states the Northern Beaches Council has issued 11,658 in the July 1st to September 30 2025 quarter. With fines averaging around $300, the fines would have brought approximately $3,497,400.00 into council coffers.
However, the local council wasn't the highest in these tallies - City of Sydney issued 58,206 in the same quarter, and North Sydney Council 13,145.
The Minns government stated on Sunday the former Liberal-National Government removed immediate notification of parking fines in 2020, despite community advocates warning it was unfair and lacked transparency.
This meant that drivers sometimes only found out they received a fine weeks after the fact, limiting their ability to gather evidence to challenge the fine, and resulting in fines not changing behaviour.
The reforms introduced by the Minns Government mean that parking officers must once again leave a physical on-the-spot notification for parking fines, except in limited circumstances (for example, where the car is moving, or where it is not safe for the ranger to attach a notification).
In the first three months following the Minns Government’s reforms coming into effect (1 July 2025 to 30 September 2025), councils across NSW issued just over 319,000 parking fines, of which only 5% were ticketless.
This represents a decline of 93% in the number of ticketless fines compared to the corresponding period July to September 2024.
Some of Sydney’s largest councils have seen the biggest reductions in their use of ticketless fines, including:
Car Fines Issue - Table: NSW Government
As part of its delivery of the reforms, Revenue NSW is working with councils to monitor adoption and compliance. This includes regular meetings between councils and Revenue NSW staff, training and webinars for council staff to understand the limits of the ‘limited exceptions’ rule, and ongoing reporting requirements.
Minister for Finance Courtney Houssos:
“The previous government should never have introduced these unfair ticketless parking fines. Three months in, it’s clear our reforms are delivering what we promised.
“Our reforms are about restoring trust in the parking fine system. People deserve to know immediately if they’ve received a fine—not weeks later when it may be too late to challenge it.”
“Councils right across NSW have reverted to on-the-spot notifications, which is exactly what these reforms were designed to do.
“I want to thank councils for their efforts to implement these changes and bringing back fairness and transparency to the parking fine system.
“These common-sense and practical changes mean motorists will no longer be blindsided by fines weeks after parking. They’ll know immediately and have a fair chance to respond.”
Government ends unfair ticketless parking fine system
The state government announced on November 14 2024 it is making changes to the ticketless parking system.
The NBC introduced the system locally quite recently, reporting it had reduced abuse and assaults on rangers to virtually zero.
See August - September 2024 reports:
Ticketless parking fines surge under Councils: NBC records a reduction in assault - abuse of rangers since system introduced
NSW Government takes action on ticketless parking fines
The government states the changes bring to an end the ticketless system introduced by the previous Liberal-National Government in 2020. Under the ticketless system, instead of having the infringement notice left on the vehicle, the fine was sent by post, sometimes not being received until weeks after the incident.
Soon after the introduction of the previous government’s ticketless system, the NRMA and other stakeholders raised issues with the scheme, identifying that it removed transparency and make it more difficult for motorists to contest their fine.
In 2023/24, local councils issued 822,310 ticketless parking fines, a 49% increase over the 551,441 issued in 2022/23.
The government said the Fines Amendment (Parking Fines) Bill 2024 restores fairness and transparency to the parking fine system by:
- Requiring councils to attach an on-the-spot notification to the vehicle.
- Requiring councils to take photos of offences and make them available for Revenue NSW to provide to drivers.
- Providing limited exceptions where an on-the-spot notification is not required, for example where it may be unsafe or hazardous for a ranger to do so.
- Invalidating ‘repeat’ ticketless parking fines, where drivers can be fined multiple times for the same offence before they even become aware of the first infringement.
- Introducing data reporting rules to evaluate if further reforms are necessary.
A working group, which has representatives from stakeholders including Local Government NSW, has been established by Revenue NSW to inform the drafting of regulations and assist with implementation.
Even before the bill passed, a number of councils began proactively providing on-the-spot notifications to drivers.
Minister for Finance Courtney Houssos said:
“The community feedback on this issue has been clear, and dates all the way back to when ticketless parking was first introduced in 2020.
“No one likes getting a parking fine. Finding out about it two weeks later stings even more.
“Bringing back on-the-spot notification for parking fines is a common-sense reform and restores fairness and integrity to the parking fine system.
“I want to thank the councils which have already started issuing on-the-spot notifications again. There is nothing stopping other councils from joining them. It is clearly in the interest of drivers and the community.”
NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said:
“Since some councils began introducing the ticketless parking system four years ago it was clear the system was broken and needed to be fixed – for this reason the NRMA commends the NSW Government on today’s announcement.
Ticketless parking leaves motorists in the dark and robs them of the chance to contest their fine if they believe they have a legitimate case, the NRMA has been against this approach from day one.”
From Community News, November 2024
