Page 132 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 12 February 2020
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What would make a real difference on many of these occasions—to particularly reflect on Mr Pettersson’s motion and the reasons for it—would be if the parking infringement notice better reflected the recipient’s capacity to pay it. Sadly, as we learned last year in the government’s response to my motion, adopting an income-based fines system would be administratively very difficult for the ACT government to do by itself. That is why it is a good thing that in 2011 former MLA Amanda Bresnan, who was one of my Greens colleagues, introduced legislation that allowed people who are on low incomes or otherwise disadvantaged and receive a traffic or parking infringement to enter into an infringement notice management plan, which enables them to participate in community service in lieu of the fine or, in exceptional circumstances, have the infringement waived.
So I was pleased to see that Mr Pettersson’s motion notes that:
(i) receiving an infringement can have a significant impact on a person’s budget and ability to cover their everyday expenses; and
(ii) due to this cost, unexpected parking fines can cause some stress and anxiety for members of our community …
The logic applies to any type of unexpected fine—or possibly even any fine. I am not sure that most of us expect them, whether it is for parking or because a person does not pick up after their dog. It particularly, of course, applies to people who have a limited capacity to pay a fine. As I noted when quoting both the Attorney-General and the Chief Minister at the time when I tabled my Magistrates Court (Infringement Notices) Amendment Bill 2019 in November last year, I could not have said this better myself. Thank you, Mr Pettersson, for adding to the government support. The consistency of sentiment from the government benches regarding the effect that fines can have on individuals leaves me optimistic that the government will support my bill when it is debated next week.
Of course, being me, it would not seem right if I did not say a bit more about some of the other solutions to parking fines. Clearly the ultimate solution to parking fines is not having to park. If you do not have to park, you cannot get fined. Parking fines would be less of an issue if we had a world-class public transport system and better infrastructure for active transport. On that note, I thank the government for the work they have done to tweak network 19 and look forward to seeing the timetables when they are released. I also look forward to an expansion of our bus fleet, not just the much-needed replacement of some of the no longer disability compliant older buses.
I also thank the government for its work on upgrading cycling infrastructure, particularly in Belconnen and Woden. However, there is a lot more still to be done. I am afraid I regularly get complaints about bike infrastructure that is problematic. Most recently it was about the cycle lane on Adelaide Avenue. Minister Steel’s attempts to make the intersection of Cotter Road and Adelaide Avenue easier for motorists have unfortunately made it a lot less safe for cyclists. However, it is pleasing to see that improved public transport and upgrading cycling infrastructure, which are both items in the parliamentary agreement, are being rolled out. I am sure we can all agree there is a lot more to be done in all of these areas.
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