High cost of university parking fines

By Isaac Nowroozi

More than $500,000 in fines for parking offences were issued at the University of Canberra in the 2015 / 2016 financial year.

According to figures from the Australian Capital Territory government, 4674 fines were issued in total, resulting in a grand total of $557,039 worth of tickets. The fines, which cost anywhere between $100 and $400, have been issued for a myriad of different offences.

The most common offences were for parking continuously longer than permitted, not parking wholly within the bay, disobeying ‘No Parking’ signs and stopping on paths and strips in built up areas. Carpark 25, located outside of the library, was a hot zone for offences. The car park zone which had unlimited parking in the middle, but a two-hour limit on the outside rings, is now a construction zone.

A petition has been started by the University of Canberra Student Association to improve parking on campus, as students are frustrated that paying for parking does not guarantee a spot on campus.

Director of Estate and Facilities Management at the university, Malcom Burchett, says that $1.4 million will be invested in overflow parking sometime this year.

Despite the addition of overflow parking, demand for parking is set to increase with the expansion of Cooper Lodge. ‘Cooper Lodge 2’, as it is known as for now, will house 496 beds on campus, and reduce parking spots due to construction needs.

All revenue raised from the fines does not go to the University of Canberra, but the ACT government.