Few things spoil a cheerful mood faster than finding a hefty $112 parking ticket on one's windscreen.
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Armidale and Guyra residents may, though, pay smaller fines if council adopts state government reforms.
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From January 1, the NSW government reduced fines for 52 non-safety-related parking offences to $80.
These concessions, a government website said, do not apply automatically; councils must opt-in.
Armidale Regional Council mayor Simon Murray said Council was looking at the matter, and expected to consider it at an upcoming meeting.
Council's next opportunity to choose to lower their fines will be on October 1. (Three earlier opportunities - at the start of January, April, and July - have already passed.) Afterwards, the opt-in opportunity becomes yearly, on April 1.
If council decides to opt-in, this would be welcome news for some locals who believe fines are too high.
"The town of Armidale is in a drought; we are quickly running out of water, people are already doing it tough," said one person, who wished to remain anonymous.
"The residents have enough costs and stress to worry about, and a $112 parking fine is outrageous! Who is really being hurt by someone overstaying a parking spot?"