STATISTICS show Swan Hill parking meters, soon to be ripped out and replaced, collected $205,536 for the 2011/2012 financial year.
Up to July this year parking infringements rose almost 30 per cent to 1064 according to Swan Hill Rural City Council, and the resultant fines reaped in $55,089.
Council regulatory services team leader Harold Rovere said the amount of parking offenders fluctuated annually and there were no apparent reasons for the recent increase.
Mr Rovere said more than $205,000 was a “considerable amount of money” but the parking system achieved its chief aim.
“We primarily want to achieve free flow of traffic. The parking meter system absolutely does that.”
The regulatory services statistics showed the amount of infringements against motorists withdrawn by council rose from 35 to 47.
Mr Rovere said parking fines could be contested, commonly through exceptional or special circumstances.
“Everyone has a right to review if they feel aggrieved, and every individual’s complaint is assessed and reviewed by a panel.”
He said documents to contest a fine could be found on council’s website or at council offices.
Meanwhile, ‘pay and display’ ticketing machines are set to rollout in late November to early December after tenders closed this week.
The $375,000 project to replace 125 multi-bay parking meters that service about 360 metered bays with 40 ‘pay and display’ ticket machines throughout the CBD was approved by council in May.
One such ticket machine is operational in Beveridge Street, between McCrae and McCallum streets, after a successful trial earlier this year.
As part of the council decision to update parking in the CBD, car parks time limits on McCallum Street, (between Campbell and Curlewis Streets, behind the clocktower) have changed from unlimited to two hour restricted.
