Parking on grass could trigger $1,000 fine as council hides silent rules
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If you thought parking on the grass outside your home or near the local school was a harmless shortcut, think again!
Some Aussie councils are cracking down hard—and we mean hard—on drivers who dare to rest their wheels on a nature strip, with fines that could make your eyes water and your wallet weep.
Recently, two Tasmanian locals found themselves on the receiving end of a jaw-dropping $1,010 fine each, simply for parking on a median strip in the Clarence City Council area, southeast of Hobart.
One of the men, a father just trying to pick up his kids from school (with a trailer in tow and few other options), was so stunned by the penalty that he thought it had to be a typo.
Another local, Andrew, parked to walk his dogs and was so shocked by the amount that he rang the council to check if it was a prank.
No such luck—Clarence City Council confirmed the fine was very real.
Clarence City Council’s CEO, Ian Nelson, explained that the hefty fine is all about 'discouraging the behaviour.'
The penalty is set under the council’s Public Places By-law, adopted in 2018, which slaps a five-unit penalty on anyone caught parking on a nature strip or council land.
With the current set rate at $202 per unit, you’ll end up with a $1,010 bill for a few minutes of convenience.
Nelson insists the council isn’t unique in setting fines, but the numbers tell a different story.
Most other Tasmanian councils, like Devonport, Launceston, Burnie, and Glenorchy, issue fines for similar offences that range from $40 to $120.
For example, Devonport’s standard parking breach is $111, and Launceston’s starts at just $41. Clarence’s five-unit whopper is a clear outlier.
You might be wondering: what’s the big deal about parking on the grass? Councils argue that nature strips are public land, often containing hidden infrastructure like water pipes, electrical cables, and tree roots. Parking on them can damage the grass, compact the soil, and even pose a risk to underground utilities.
There’s also the issue of pedestrian safety—nature strips are meant to provide a buffer between traffic and footpaths.
But parking is already a headache for many Aussies, especially in crowded suburbs or near busy schools.
When every street spot is taken, grass can seem like the only option. Unfortunately, ignorance of the law is no defence, and as these Tasmanian drivers discovered, the cost of convenience can be sky-high.
It’s not just Tasmania where drivers are feeling the pinch. Across Australia, parking fines are becoming a hot topic as councils respond to complaints and try to keep streets orderly.
In Sydney’s Inner West, the council received over 4,300 complaints about people parking across nature strips and driveways in just a few months.
Their response? Tow trucks for repeat offenders and fines that have doubled from $320 to $660.
Last year, a NSW woman was hit with two fines totalling $640 for parking on the grass outside her home, simply because no street spots were left.
She, like many, was shocked to learn that parking on the grass is an offence at all.
Here’s where it gets a bit technical. Councils set the number of 'penalty units' for each offence under their own by-laws, but the dollar value of each unit is set by the state government and indexed annually.
This means that while the state controls the cost per unit, your local council decides how many units to apply for each type of infringement.
That’s why you can get a $41 fine in one suburb and a $1,010 fine in another for the same behaviour.
If you find yourself on the receiving end of a hefty fine, don’t panic—yet. You can appeal the fine if you believe it was issued unfairly, or if there were extenuating circumstances (like a medical emergency).
Councils usually have a formal review process, and sometimes, if you pay early, you might get a discount (though don’t count on that for the big ones).
But prevention is always better than a cure. If you’re not sure whether you can park somewhere, check the signs, look up your council’s by-laws online, or just play it safe and find a legal spot—even if it means a longer walk.
Many locals are questioning whether these sky-high fines are really about protecting public land or just a sneaky way for councils to boost their revenue.
With the cost of living already through the roof, a $1,000 fine for a minor parking mistake feels like salt in the wound.
Have you ever been stung by a parking fine you thought was unfair? Do you think councils are going too far, or are tough penalties the only way to keep our streets safe and tidy? Share your stories and opinions in the comments below.
Read more: Council parking law change to impact caravan and boat owners
Some Aussie councils are cracking down hard—and we mean hard—on drivers who dare to rest their wheels on a nature strip, with fines that could make your eyes water and your wallet weep.
Recently, two Tasmanian locals found themselves on the receiving end of a jaw-dropping $1,010 fine each, simply for parking on a median strip in the Clarence City Council area, southeast of Hobart.
One of the men, a father just trying to pick up his kids from school (with a trailer in tow and few other options), was so stunned by the penalty that he thought it had to be a typo.
Another local, Andrew, parked to walk his dogs and was so shocked by the amount that he rang the council to check if it was a prank.
Two Tasmanians receive $1,010 fines for parking on a nature strip, leaving one man thinking it was a typo. Credit: Facebook
No such luck—Clarence City Council confirmed the fine was very real.
Clarence City Council’s CEO, Ian Nelson, explained that the hefty fine is all about 'discouraging the behaviour.'
The penalty is set under the council’s Public Places By-law, adopted in 2018, which slaps a five-unit penalty on anyone caught parking on a nature strip or council land.
With the current set rate at $202 per unit, you’ll end up with a $1,010 bill for a few minutes of convenience.
Nelson insists the council isn’t unique in setting fines, but the numbers tell a different story.
Most other Tasmanian councils, like Devonport, Launceston, Burnie, and Glenorchy, issue fines for similar offences that range from $40 to $120.
For example, Devonport’s standard parking breach is $111, and Launceston’s starts at just $41. Clarence’s five-unit whopper is a clear outlier.
You might be wondering: what’s the big deal about parking on the grass? Councils argue that nature strips are public land, often containing hidden infrastructure like water pipes, electrical cables, and tree roots. Parking on them can damage the grass, compact the soil, and even pose a risk to underground utilities.
There’s also the issue of pedestrian safety—nature strips are meant to provide a buffer between traffic and footpaths.
When every street spot is taken, grass can seem like the only option. Unfortunately, ignorance of the law is no defence, and as these Tasmanian drivers discovered, the cost of convenience can be sky-high.
It’s not just Tasmania where drivers are feeling the pinch. Across Australia, parking fines are becoming a hot topic as councils respond to complaints and try to keep streets orderly.
In Sydney’s Inner West, the council received over 4,300 complaints about people parking across nature strips and driveways in just a few months.
Their response? Tow trucks for repeat offenders and fines that have doubled from $320 to $660.
Last year, a NSW woman was hit with two fines totalling $640 for parking on the grass outside her home, simply because no street spots were left.
Here’s where it gets a bit technical. Councils set the number of 'penalty units' for each offence under their own by-laws, but the dollar value of each unit is set by the state government and indexed annually.
This means that while the state controls the cost per unit, your local council decides how many units to apply for each type of infringement.
That’s why you can get a $41 fine in one suburb and a $1,010 fine in another for the same behaviour.
If you find yourself on the receiving end of a hefty fine, don’t panic—yet. You can appeal the fine if you believe it was issued unfairly, or if there were extenuating circumstances (like a medical emergency).
Councils usually have a formal review process, and sometimes, if you pay early, you might get a discount (though don’t count on that for the big ones).
Many locals are questioning whether these sky-high fines are really about protecting public land or just a sneaky way for councils to boost their revenue.
With the cost of living already through the roof, a $1,000 fine for a minor parking mistake feels like salt in the wound.
Read more: Council parking law change to impact caravan and boat owners
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