A LOT OF IMPORTANT STUFF IN POLITICS RARELY GETS A HEADLINE
One of the top 5 complaints that I receive in the Electorate Office is to do with parking fines. The common theme is that people are going about their day, doing X, Y and Z, and as part of this they will park in a manner that is against the rules and then are shocked to receive a fine in the mail 2 weeks later.
Since 2020, in NSW, it has been possible for a Council Ranger to note the unlawful parking and to issue a fine, some days or weeks later, in the mail. Since the law was changed in 2020, the number of fines issued by Councils has increased by more than 100%.
Parking Fines are issued by local council officers and the funds from parking fines go back to Councils. However, Revenue NSW (a State Government body) is contracted by most Councils to receive the payment, and chase the payment, on behalf of Councils. The role of Revenue NSW is why so many people come to see me about their parking fine concerns but to be very, very clear, the State Government does not issue the fines, or receive the money from the fines.
But the issuing of parking fines, in the mail, is about to end.
The NSW Government is changing the law so that parking fines will go back to requiring an on-the-spot fine, at the time of the car being parked incorrectly.
This change will be incredibly important for people that choose to defend or contest the parking fine that they receive. They will immediately be able to take their own notice of the way the car is parked, where and why it is parked that way, take photographic evidence, etc.
This change in law will be in place in the coming weeks and I welcome it, but you probably won’t read much about it the mainstream media.
THINGS ARE CHANGING IN OUR SCHOOLS
Prior to the NSW Election in March 2023, our schools had just 64% of their staff that were permanent, and the rest were on short term contracts This included teachers and support staff.
Since forming Government, Education Minister Prue Car has done a wonderful job in making sure that 15,000 of those contract workers have been made permanent. And this is having a huge impact on our schools – creating certainty and a far more settled environment.
For those staff that now have a permanent job, they can really plan their future and lay down some solid roots. And for the students that get to know the staff in their schools, they will also benefit from seeing the same faces in the school again next year and the year after.
Getting things right for our students, in their formative years, is so important to the outcomes that we as society will realise when these kids become our adults.