Latest news with #ClarenceCityCouncil
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Aussie council responds after locals left stunned by $1,000 fines for parking on the grass
An Aussie council is standing firm on its decision to hand down "outrageous" $1,010 fines for two locals who parked on a nature strip, saying the tough penalties are in place to "discourage the behaviour". Earlier this month, two local men complained they had received an unfair penalty for parking on a median strip by the Clarence City Council, in Tasmania's southeast. One father said he'd simply stopped at the spot to pick up his kids from school, and having a trailer attached to his car, was met with few alternate options. He told local publication Pulse that he initially thought the incredible penalty "was a typo". Another said he'd parked there to walk his dogs, and was so surprised by the extreme fee he even called to council to check its legitimacy. "They said, no, it's not a joke. That's what it is," Andrew said. According to Council CEO Ian Nelson, his LGA "is not unique in setting fines", and the amounts serve a purpose. "This fine, for parking illegally on a nature strip or council land, is achieving an appropriate outcome," he told Yahoo News Australia. "The infringement was issued under council's Public Places By-law which was adopted in 2018. In this case, the offence relates to Public Places Bylaw 2018, section 30(1) and carries a penalty of five units. These rules were formally put in place by Council and we're required to apply them consistently — we can't simply change or ignore them." Across Tasmania, councils tend to issue parking fines that range between 0.2 and 0.6 penalty units, which equates to approximately $40 to $120 at the current state-set rate of $202 per unit. For example, Devonport City Council — in the state's north — applies a 0.55-unit fine, around $111, for most parking breaches, with discounts available for early payment. Launceston's fines for standard infringements typically start at $41 and increase in stages up to about $102.50 if unpaid after 28 days. Burnie and Glenorchy councils follow similar patterns, applying relatively low unit counts in line with state norms. By contrast, Clarence City Council's use of five penalty units — resulting in a $1,010 fine for parking on public land — stands out. While councils decide how many units to apply to offences under their own by-laws, the dollar value per unit is determined by the Tasmanian Government and indexed annually. Big push for 'polite parking' change in Aussie suburbs Sydney man's confusion over $724 parking fine: 'Ludicrous' Drivers fume over 'entitled' street parking act in busy Aussie suburb As Aussies grapple with the rising cost of living, parking fines have been a sore point across the nation, with residents also dobbing neighbours in. In May in Sydney, the Inner West Council said it had received an incredible 4,393 recent complaints regarding people parking across nature strips and driveways. In response, it said it will now order tow trucks to remove vehicles obstructing driveways, doubling fines for offending drivers from $320 to $660. Last year, a woman who parked on the grass outside her home "because there weren't any spots left on the road" was appalled to discover she'd been fined twice, totalling $640. The NSW motorist said she "wasn't aware" it was an offence to park on the grass. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
ABC News
22-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Hobart's urban growth boundary extended to allow fast-growing areas to continue to expand
Some of the fastest-growing areas near Hobart could double in size after the region's urban growth boundary was extended, allowing for more suburban development. Housing Minister Felix Ellis approved the extension of the boundary by 615 hectares, including areas to the outer north, south and east of the city. The largest extension was 176 hectares to the immediate north of the Glebe Hill housing estate at Rokeby, on Hobart's eastern shore, potentially allowing for more than 3,100 dwellings to be added. The changes also include 166 hectares to the south-east of Sorell, south of the Arthur Highway bypass, for close to another 3,000 dwellings. The urban growth boundary extension allows for greater residential rezoning but is subject to all planning approvals. Mr Ellis said the changes could provide 10,000 additional homes. Other main changes include 73 hectares at Richardsons Road in Sandford, 36 hectares at Brighton Road in Brighton, and 33 hectares on the Channel Highway at Margate. In its submission as part of the process, Clarence City Council was broadly supportive — including of the Rokeby extensions — but had concerns with the Sandford urban growth extension. It was one of two land parcels in the government's list that were identified "through dialogue with a developer", the other being at Mannata Road in nearby Lauderdale, which was also approved. The council's submission, signed by chief executive officer Ian Nelson, described the inclusion of the Sandford land as "opportunistic and not strategically justified". "It does not promote the consolidation of development within a contained area, rather, it encourages unrestrained urban sprawl in a southerly direction on the South Arm Peninsula," the submission reads. The land is subject to overlays for coastal inundation, potential contaminated land, flood-prone hazard, waterway protection and landslip hazard. Nik Masters and Dean Richards also provided a submission "on behalf of the project team" for the potential Sandford development. They described the site as being "thoroughly assessed, with extensive independent reports and modelling already completed" as part of a master plan. "Including 52 Richardsons Road within the [urban growth boundary] would enable short-term housing development on serviced land free from flood or inundation overlays," the submission reads. Under the urban growth boundary changes, Sorell could expect significant additional residential development proposed in the coming decades. The land south of the Arthur Highway bypass is yet to be served by TasWater. Mayor Janet Gatehouse said development in the area was "not going to happen overnight", and she would like to see it progress in a "sustainable, holistic fashion". "Council is trying to manage it in the most holistic way — considering environmental and community interests, and what's best for new residents," she said. Sorell has been promised a Medicare urban care clinic, its public school has recently expanded with room for further expansion, and it has a park-and-ride service for public transport. Cr Gatehouse said these services would assist in the area's continued growth, and she wanted to ensure that Sorell's rural areas could also receive adequate services. Most of the changes to the urban growth boundary were identified as part of a review of the Southern Tasmania Regional Land Use Strategy, which is ongoing. Clarence City Council described changing the urban growth boundary before this review is finished as "premature". The Greater Hobart Plan, released in 2022, stated that the previous boundary could provide for 34,000 dwellings through infill development to accommodate for the region's estimated population growth over the next 25 years. It did not recommend changes to the urban growth boundary. Other changes to the boundary, approved by Mr Ellis, include 13 hectares at Risdon Vale, 18 hectares at Gagebrook, 24 hectares at Old Beach and a further 31 hectares at Sorell.
