Hume City Council launches Infringement Refund Scheme

Published on 17 March 2021

Hume City Council is launching an Infringement Refund Scheme for all motorists who unsuccessfully appealed an infringement from 2006 – 2016.

This is consistent with other Victorian organisations to ensure a resolution is offered to affected motorists.

The scheme is currently being developed and is anticipated to commence in July 2021. Further information and details on how eligible motorists can apply for a refund will be provided to the community in the coming months.

Council’s Infringement Refund Scheme follows the release by the Victorian Ombudsman of a progress report on the unlawful use of private contractors to review parking fines in Victoria.

This progress report is an extension of the Ombudsman’s Investigation into three Councils’ outsourcing of parking fine internal reviews report from 25 February 2020.

The report found that three Councils used a private contractor to conduct parking reviews in a way that appeared to be contrary to the law.

The Ombudsman found that Councils allowed a contractor to decide reviews for around ten years by outsourcing decision-making and by rubber-stamping the contractor’s recommendations.

The Report prompted further enquiries from the Ombudsman into other Councils, including Hume, who had also used contractors.

Hume City Council acknowledges it has used contractors in the past to support its infringement review process and believed that it had acted in accordance with the law.

Following the release of the Ombudsman follow-up report, Council has decided to develop an Infringement Refund Scheme.