Fines

Officer writing on clipboard and issuing infringement notice

Infringement notices, or fines, are a penalty for breaking the law, and local Councils and other enforcement agencies use fines as a deterrent for behaviour that breaches of Local and State Laws.

Council officers can issue fines for a variety of offences such as noise, pollution and signage non-compliance, but the most commonly talked about are parking tickets or when someone's pet is involved in an incident.

The Infringements Act, which is State Law, sets a framework for managing what information must be placed on a fine, fine timeframes, the process for reviewing a fine, fee structures and the lodgement for unpaid fines with Fines Victoria. 

Parking tickets

Drivers who receive parking infringements/fines have the option to:

  • Pay the fine, no driver details are needed
  • Nominate themselves if they are not the registered owner of the vehicle, by completing this form(PDF, 101KB) or
  • If another person was in charge of the vehicle at the time of the offence, the registered owner can complete the Nominated Statement section of this form(PDF, 101KB)

In both instances, please note that the Court Hearing section can be disregarded.

Internal Reviews

If you have received an infringement notice issued by Council, you can apply for an internal review(PDF, 1MB) by writing to us.

There are a few things you should keep in mind when starting this process:

  • You can only apply for an internal review of a fine once and the review needs to have evidence or proof included with the application.
  • You should apply for an internal review before the final due date on the infringement notice, which is 28 days from the issue date on the infringement notice (date of notice).
  • If you have not paid the fine or taken action before 28 days from the date of notice you will receive a “penalty reminder letter” and this letter will have further costs added onto the original penalty. These fees are set by the Department of Justice.
  • If you have not paid the fine, the penalty reminder letter fee or taken action before the final due date, the infringement will be registered for collection with Fines Victoria and further costs will be added.
  • Once an infringement notice has been lodged with Fines Victoria, Council is unable to conduct an internal review.
  • All internal reviews must be emailed to Council via info@indigoshire.vic.gov.au

You can apply for an internal review for the following reasons:

  • Contrary to law
  • Exceptional Circumstances
  • Mistake of Identity
  • Person unaware
  • Special Circumstances

If you have received an infringement notice and have been unsuccessful with an application for an internal review, you do have the right to apply for the matter to be heard by a Court. Complete this form(PDF, 101KB) and fill in the “Request a Court hearing” section at the bottom and return to us.

Council will commence the process, with hearings normally occurring at the Wodonga Magistrates Court.

We recommend applicants seek legal advice prior to requesting a matter is heard by the Court.

For more information, view or download the Internal Review Factsheet or view the Internal Review Guidelines

 

 

 

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