‘We are sorry’: Mansfield Shire Council reveals hundreds of parking fines overcharged over 17 years in major blunder
A council in Victoria has apologized for imposing excessive parking fines for almost two decades and promised to refund almost $35,000 collected from the mistake.
Mansfield Shire Council, about 240km north-east of Melbourne, will introduce a parking infringement refund scheme after identifying a historic administrative issue that resulted in staff collecting parking infringement fines without a formal decision from the council.
The council identified up to 765 parking violation tickets dating back to 2009 and collected $34,588 above the estimated penalty rate.
Penalty buyers may also owe up to $10,000 in late fees and legal fees.
The council was operating under the Road Safety Act 1986, allowing local authority officers to levy fines of 0.2 to 0.5 units, equivalent to a fine of between $41 and $102, for 11 specific parking infringements.
He claimed the need for a formal decision was not adequately communicated to Victorian councils in 2009 or 2019 when the guidelines were changed.
Mansfield Shire Council mayor Steve Rabie said steps were taken to resolve the issue as soon as the council became aware of it.
He said the council had records of the incidents and would contact anyone in the Mansfield Shire who had overpaid parking fines to offer a refund.
“We are not afraid to address bugs. We have identified a problem and we will fix it. I have full confidence that the current team will work quickly to fix these legacy issues,” Mr. Rabie said.
“We know that society trusts us and we will work to maintain this trust.
“We’re sorry if this affected anyone.”
Mr Rabie said it was disappointing because it was preventable.
“These fines are legitimate fines for legitimate parking violations. The municipality was allowed to issue violation fines at the rate they issued. This is a small fine, easy to do, and easy to avoid administrative oversight,” he said.
“It’s a small amount of money over the years. Mansfield Shire Council has not tried to make money from parking fines; we use fines to ensure fair use of parking resources for the community as a whole.”
Mr. Rabie emphasized the need for open communication between all levels of government.
“When there are changes in state or federal government policy and those changes impact local government, they need to be clearly communicated,” he said.
“They can’t be hidden in emails unrelated to the amendment, they can’t be buried deep in the hundreds of government newspapers that come out every year.”
