Council implemented the 'Print and Post' system in June 2022 to issue fines through Revenue NSW.
This system provides you with more information about the fine as well as options available to you.
For parking offences, a notification advising the recipient that a fine has been issued will be displayed on the vehicle windscreen when possible. Fines for other offences are no longer posted in the mail from Council. Revenue NSW will post the fine to the recipient on Council’s behalf.
Under the 'Print and Post' system, a clear and informative penalty notice letter is mailed to you by Revenue NSW. This will apply to all offences relating to parking, companion animals, health, building or environmental regulations.
Authorised council officers are equipped with handheld devices that record the details of the offence, as well as any relevant photos, which are then sent to Revenue NSW.
The following day, Revenue NSW will create the penalty notice and send it to the recipient within two (2) to three (3) days. The letter will detail how recipients can access further information, including photos, via the Revenue NSW website.
For parking offences, the handheld devices will note whether a vehicle has already been issued a penalty notice (on the same day, at the same location, for the same offence), to avoid the same notice being sent twice.
Drivers in the Shoalhaven must follow the rules and regulations of the Australian Road Rules and NSW Road Rules Act 2014.
These rules and restrictions exist to promote safe driving and parking practices, help traffic flow freely, and encourage fair and equal use of limited parking spaces.
Parking restrictions may be of a 'statutory' type (laws which apply universally, without specific signage being in place), or posted on signs in the area of the parking space.
All drivers have to follow the statutory rules and regulations regardless of location, but drivers must also follow all sign-posted parking restrictions for the area they are currently parking in.
If Council's authorised officer identifies a breach of a particular road rule or parking restriction, they will issue a 'penalty notice' for the offence, in accordance with relevant regulations, rules and procedures.
Why did the process change?
Revenue NSW noticed some issues with the previous process that needed to be fixed:
- People receiving notices were confused about the 'shopper docket' (receipt) style penalty notices, which had limited information and weren't always consistent
- Penalty notices left on windscreens were being removed by unknown parties, leaving people unaware they had been fined until receiving a reminder notice, which meant they had less time to act and budget for the fine
- Councils were spending a large amount of money on administration costs to send out letters
What are the benefits of this system?
The Print and Post system offers a number of benefits to both Council and the community, including:
- People receiving consistent information on a standardised penalty notice can make informed decisions and have more time to act
- Council spends less time and money on managing the notices, meaning more efficient and effective service to the community
What is the turn-around time from when the penalty notice is reported to Revenue NSW to when the notice is posted to me?
Generally it is within two (2) to three (3) days.
This time period varies depending on if there are any errors and data corrections that need to be made, as well as what time of day the penalty notice is uploaded to the system.
Revenue NSW is continually working to reduce this turnaround time.
Below are some things to keep in mind to avoid parking fines:
- Always check the area for parking signs.
- Signs are clearly displayed to advise drivers of the parking requirements for a particular area.
- Be careful where there are changes of parking restrictions throughout the day – e.g. some zones may become a school zone, clearway, etc. Pay particular attention to parking signs around schools; they are there to keep children safe.
- No stopping, clearway or bus zone restrictions mean you are not permitted to stop at any time unless traffic conditions require it.
- Only park in a loading zone if your vehicle is permitted. In NSW, sedans are not permitted in loading zones at any time.
- Do not park in a mobility impaired person's parking space (MIPPS) unless you are the holder of an RMS mobility parking scheme permit (MPS) or you are driving a person with a MPS permit which is correctly displayed on the vehicle. Heavy penalties apply for breaching this rule.
- Timed parking applies to car parks enforced by Council and on-street parking, in accordance with the signs in place. The timed parking applies from when the driver parks the vehicle to when the vehicle leaves the area defined by the signs. For example, if you want to continue to park in a car park and the time is up, you must first drive out of the car park and re-enter. If you want to continue to park on-street and the time is up, you must move to another area outside of that signed area.
- A ten-minute grace period is applied for overtime offences.
- Do not park within ten (10) metres of an intersection unless parking signage advises otherwise.
- Parking restrictions apply on public holidays in two instances:
- When parking signs do not state any days of the week.
- When a sign states 'and public holidays' (or words to that effect).
This report satisfies the reporting requirement under section 24AD(4) of the Fines Act 1996.
It contains information and data relating to special provisions relating to parking offences under Division 2AA of the Fines Act 1996. Information required to be included in this report is outlined in clause 9 of the Fines Regulation 2025.
References to Clause 8 Fines Regulation 2025 include references to Clause 5C of the Fines Regulation 2020.
Organisation Details
- Name of organisation: Shoalhaven City Council
- Reporting start date: 01/07/2025
- Reporting period end date: 30/09/2025
- Reporting officer name: Jodie Parnell
- Reporting officer position: Lead, Ranger Services
- Reporting officer phone number: 1300 293 111
- Reporting officer email: Council@shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au
- Date of submission: 23/10/2025
I certify that to the best of my knowledge this report is true and accurate: Jodie Parnell
Totals for Shoalhaven City Council
| Description |
Count |
| Parking fines total |
1620 |
| Valid parking fines where a fine notice or notification was attached to the vehicle |
1547 |
| Valid parking fines where a fine notice or notification was not attached to the vehicle |
57 |
| Invalid parking fines |
16 |
Grounds for Not Attaching a Fine Notice or Notification
| Grounds |
Count |
% of non-attached fines |
% of total fines in period |
| Clause 8 (a) the vehicle involved in the parking offence moved before a notification could be attached to the vehicle |
44 |
77.19% |
2.72% |
| Section 24AD (1) (a) it was not safe to attach the notification - verbal intimidation |
5 |
8.77% |
0.31% |
| Section 24AD (1) (c) the vehicle was not stationary |
5 |
8.77% |
0.31% |
| Section 24AD (1) (a) it was not safe to attach the notification - extreme weather |
1 |
1.75% |
0.06% |
| Section 24AD (1) (a) it was not safe to attach the notification - other reasons |
1 |
1.75% |
0.06% |
| Section 24AD (1) (a) it was not safe to attach the notification - location of the vehicle |
1 |
1.75% |
0.06% |
| Grand Total |
57 |
100% |
3.52% |
Reasons for Invalidated Fines
Note: A fine may have multiple reasons for being invalid and may appear more than once in the table below.
| Reason |
Total Invalidated |
| Invalidated under section 24AE(2) |
1 |
| Similar offence under Section 24AG |
0 |
| Invalidated under section 24AH(1)(a) |
0 |
| Invalidated under section 24AH(1)(b) |
0 |
| Other |
15 |
| Grand Total |
16 |