We will launch a refund scheme after discovering a historical administrative error that means we have over-charged on 11 types of parking infringements.
We'll be offering refunds on the overcharged portion of the fines, which will be between $30 and $60 depending on the year of issue. Council records for the affected infringements go back to 2003.
The scheme will begin on 1 October 2026, when an application form will be made live on this webpage. It will run for 12 months.
The Road Safety Act 1986 enables Councils to set the penalty for 11 'green sign' parking offences up to a maximum of 0.5 penalty units, and many councils do this.
But a specific Council resolution is required to set the parking penalty units. Without this, a default rate of 0.2 penalty units applies.
We have recently confirmed that, due to the historical administrative error, the 0.5 penalty unit rate has been applied to the 11 infringement types without evidence of a specific Council resolution to do so.
We are one of a number of Victorian councils impacted by this issue.
A comment from our CEO Robyn Seymour:
"We apologise to affected motorists for the inconvenience.
"As soon as we were made aware of this potential issue, we investigated thoroughly and could not find evidence in our records that the necessary Council resolution had ever been made.
"We're taking accountability for the situation and putting a process in place to rectify it.
"We're committed to making sure affected motorists are refunded appropriately for the over-charged amount of their fine."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which infringement types are eligible for a refund?
The impacted infringements are:
- Stopped contrary to a 'no parking' sign
- Parked for a period longer than indicated
- Failure to pay parking fee and obey instructions on sign/meter/ticket/ticket vending machine
- Stopped on a bicycle parking area
- Stopped on a motorbike parking area
- Parked contrary to requirement of parking area
- Parked – fail to comply with angle parking requirements
- Parked – fail to comply with 90 degree angle parking requirements
- Parked not completely within a parking bay
- Parked – long vehicle exceeding minimum number of bays
- Parked – wide vehicle exceeding minimum number of bays
How will I know if I'm eligible for a refund?
To be eligible for a refund you must have paid a parking fine issued by Surf Coast Shire Council for one of the impacted infringements.
If your infringement was issued prior to 1 July 2003, the online form will not work for you and you will need to contact Council directly.
You will need to provide the required evidence in support of your refund application.
Parking fines issued for other offences such as parking in a loading zone or clearway have had the correct fine applied and are not part of this refund program.
How do I apply for a refund?
From 1 October 2026, this webpage will enable you to search by registration number to check if your vehicle has been issued a fine that is eligible for a refund.
You will then need to fill in an online form on this webpage and provide the necessary evidence to confirm you were in possession of the vehicle at the time the fine was issued.
What documents or evidence will be needed as part of my refund application?
Our records document fines against vehicle registration numbers.
To receive a refund, you will need to demonstrate that you were in possession of the vehicle at the time the fine was issued, by providing one of the following:
- Infringement notice featuring your name
- A certificate of registration in your name for the vehicle within 12 months either side of the offence
- Car insurance documentation in your name within 12 months either side of the offence
If you cannot produce one of these forms of evidence, you can submit other documentation demonstrating your possession of the vehicle at the time the fine was issued. These claims will be manually assessed on a case-by-case basis.
How long will the refund process take?
Our aim is to assess all refund applications within 30 days, and process refunds within a further 30 days. All applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, meaning timeframes may differ.
How will I receive my refund?
Refunds will be made by electronic transfer to a BSB and bank account number
You will receive a notification from us once your refund has been paid.
Why aren't you refunding the full amount of the fine?
The parking infringements were issued to those who had broken the road rules, therefore the fines themselves remain valid.
The amount charged exceeded the default rate permitted without formal approval. To correct this administrative error, we will issue partial refunds – the portion of the fine amount that was incorrectly charged.
Can I apply on someone else's behalf?
Yes. Please specify this in your refund application.
What is a penalty unit?
A penalty unit is a standard monetary amount used to calculate fines and penalties under Victorian legislation.
The dollar value of a penalty unit is reviewed and updated each year by the Victorian Government.
For the 2026-27 financial year, one penalty unit in Victoria is $209.10.
Therefore, 0.5 of a penalty unit is $105 and 0.2 of a penalty unit is $42.
These amounts have changed over time.
If I had multiple fines issued, do I need to lodge an application for each one separately?
No. You can request refunds for all fines issued to the same vehicle registration number in a single application.
You'll need to be able to establish that you were in possession of the vehicle at the time each fine was issued.
What if my infringement was heard in court?
If your fine was determined through a court proceeding, you are not eligible for the refund scheme.
Courts can impose penalties as they see fit.
Once a matter has been resolved in court, Council has no authority to adjust or refund the outcome.
What if my infringement was referred to Fines Victoria?
If you have paid your fine in full through Fines Victoria, you are eligible to apply to Council for this refund scheme.
If you had an unpaid fine sitting with Fines Victoria, it has now been returned to Council. We will send you a reminder notice showing the adjusted (reduced) amount owing. In this case, you do not need to apply through the refund scheme.
Will I receive interest on the overcharged portion of the fine?
No. We are not offering interest payments. The refund will be for the overcharged portion of the fine.
What steps can I take if my refund application is rejected and I am dissatisfied with this outcome?
You can request a review via our standard process by lodging a complaint.
How can this have happened?
This is a legacy issue that occurred due to a technical administrative error in the past.
Given it is a widespread issue, it is clearly complex and related to multiple changes in legislation.
Of approximately 6700 infringement types that are available to be issued across Victoria, this procedural requirement is understood to be unique to the 11 identified infringement types.
How was the issue brought to Council's attention?
We received a letter from the Ombudsman, sent to councils throughout Victoria, which warned of the potential issue.
We acted immediately by investigating our records thoroughly, and discovered we were impacted.
