Offences under the Australian Road Rules include:
Parking around Schools
Council regularly experiences problems with parking around schools. It is not the responsibility of the Council to provide parking around schools but Council has the difficult task of managing the limited number of on-street spaces available.
For this reason parking restrictions are specifically installed outside schools to control the behaviour of people delivering and collecting students. These restrictions are often installed at the request of the school or nearby residents. Parking patrols ensure the safety of children through enforcement of the parking restrictions.
The basic principle is that a larger number of vehicles can use each space if it is restricted to short term parking and various parking restrictions are used to achieve this. These may include No Stopping, Yellow Edge Line and No Parking restrictions.
See our 'Keep Kids Safe' page for extra information.
Children's Crossings
Stopping your vehicle too close to a children's crossing may mean that a child entering the crossing can't see or be seen by an approaching car.
When a children's crossing is in operation (ie. when the flags are displayed) you must not stop:
- Within 20 metres before the crossing
- Within 10 metres after the crossing
This means that stopping momentarily to let a child out or pick a child up is an offence.
These restrictions do not apply when flags are not displayed and the crossing is unattended.
However, if there is also a No Stopping sign at the approach to the crossing you must obey it at all times.
Double Parking
Double Parking means a driver must not stop on a road: if the road is a two-way road, between the centre of the road and another vehicle that is parked at the side of the road; or if the road is a one-way road, between the far side of the road and another vehicle that is parked at the side of the road.
Council is mindful of congestion around schools and only reports vehicles for this offence when a passenger enters or leaves the vehicle while it is stopped as previously described.
No Stopping Zone and Continuous Yellow Edge Line.
A total prohibition on parking applies in these areas as these restrictions are imposed for road and pedestrian safety reasons and to maintain access. A continuous yellow edge line is a road marking which runs parallel to the kerb.
You are not permitted to stop or park in these zones at any time, regardless of the reason. Even if you are only stopping to let someone out of the car and regardless of whether you leave the engine running and stay in the car.
No Parking
You must not stop in a No Parking area unless dropping off or picking up passengers or goods. You must not leave the car and not take longer than two minutes.
Intersections
Parking your vehicle too close to an intersection can endanger pedestrians and other drivers by blocking their view of the traffic and by restricting other drivers' turning space.
A driver must not stop on a road within 20 metres of the nearest point of an intersecting road at an intersection with traffic lights.
A driver must not stop on a road within 10 metres from the nearest point of an intersecting road at an intersection without traffic lights.
Parallel Parking
All vehicles must be parked parallel to the kerb unless the signs and or road markings indicate angle parking is required.
All parallel parked vehicles must face the same direction as the moving traffic on that side of the road. This is called 'the lawful direction'. To ensure a clear passage for moving traffic, parallel parked vehicles (other than motor cycles) must have both kerbside wheels as close as practicable to the kerb.
Stopping Across Driveways
You must not stop across your own or another person's driveway, or so close to the driveway that you stop a vehicle from driving in or out.
Parking on a Path, Dividing Strip or Nature Strip
Vehicles must not be parked with any part of the vehicle on a footpath or footway. This includes the grass verge outside your home. Apart from the obstruction of pedestrians, footpaths are not intended to bear the weight of vehicles as damage may be caused to the surface or services located underneath.
A footpath is the area from the kerb to the property boundary, this includes lawns and gardens. A footpath also includes footway, lane or other place made or constructed for the use of pedestrians and not for the use of vehicles. The section of footpath, which enables access to premises, is part of the footpath and is not available for parking.
Bike Lanes
Many of the main roads in our region have lanes, which are provided specifically for bicycle riders. There is signage at the beginning of the lane, along the length of the lane and at the end.
Bike Lanes are a single roadside lane indicated by a solid white continuous road marking. The bicycle symbol is painted on the road on intersections, which form part of the Bike Lane.
Bike Lanes were created as a State Government initiative to provide a legitimate and reasonably unimpeded road area for cyclists and to improve road safety.
It is an offence for a vehicle to be parked with any part of that vehicle in a Bicycle Lane during the times specified on the Bike Lane sign. If there are no times indicated on the sign, the Bike Lane is in operation 24 hours. You must not stop in a Bike Lane at all regardless of your reasons to do so. This is considered a serious offence and a severe penalty applies.
Clearways
Clearways improve traffic flow at the busiest times of the day. A Clearway starts at the Clearway sign and ends at the End Clearway Sign. You cannot stop your car between these signs during the times specified on the Clearway sign.
Bus Zone
Only public buses are permitted in Bus Zones. Bus drivers need unrestricted access to these areas to safely pick up and set down passengers. Unauthorised vehicles create severe inconvenience for bus drivers, particularly during peak periods. Stopping to set down or pick up a passenger is not permitted.
Stopping near a fire hydrant etc
A driver must not stop within one metre of a fire hydrant, fire hydrant indicator or fire plug indicator.
Loading Zones
Loading Zones are only available for the pickup or set down of goods or items, which are too large or heavy to carry conveniently. If you have a commercial vehicle you may use a Loading Zone for a maximum of 30 minutes as long as you are loading or unloading. A 'commercial vehicle' means a motor vehicle constructed solely or mainly for the carriage of goods (including a vehicle of the kind commonly called a utility, but excluding a vehicle of the kind commonly called a station wagon or station sedan).
All other vehicles (this includes station wagons and hatchbacks) may only use a Loading Zone for a maximum of 10 minutes if goods, which due to their weight or size are difficult to handle are being picked up or set down.
Heavy Vehicle Parking
Under the Australian Road Rules 1999, vehicles over 7.5 metres in length (including a trailer attached) or having a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 4.5 tonnes or over can only be parked on a road for a maximum of one hour.
Owners or drivers of a vehicle of 3 tonnes or over wishing to park on a residential property require Development consent. The type of vehicle which need consent include: buses, motor homes, vans, trucks, prime movers, earth moving equipment and associated trailers.