YARRA RANGES: Council blunders over penalty notices
Mistakes made by Yarra Ranges Shire Council over several decades means that full refunds are being offered to a number of people who received animal-infringement notices from January 2014 to February 2023.
More mistakes relating to a number of parking infringements issued between July 2005 to July 2025 will mean partial refunds will be available.
Rather than automatically refund the money wrongly charged to the recipients of the incorrect infringement notices, those affected are being expected to apply to the Council for a refund.
Mayor Cr Jim Child says the Council is being transparent. The Council, however, has not revealed how many people have been wrongly charged, and how much the refunds are expected to total.
“Following an internal audit of all Council infringements, Yarra Ranges Council have identified some technical issues relating to a small number of parking and animal-related infringements, specifically parking infringements issued between July 2005 to July 2025 and animal-related infringements from January 2014 to February 2023,” said a Council statement.
“Council is taking proactive steps to rectify the issue and ensure any affected residents are refunded appropriately. The audit found:
- Parking infringements issued since 2001 remain valid, but some were incorrectly charged due to how fine increases were documented.
- Animal-related infringements issued since 2013 are not valid due incorrect wording in public notices.
“As a result, Council is offering: - Partial refunds for affected parking infringements.
- Full refunds for affected animal infringements.
“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused,” said Yarra Ranges CEO, Tammi Rose (pictured).
“This issue was identified through an internal audit and we will be contacting affected individuals directly where possible. We’re also inviting residents who believe they may have been impacted to apply for a refund. Importantly, we are taking steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Yarra Ranges Mayor Cr Jim Child has self-congratulated the Council over the way it has handled the fines fasco.
“Good governance means owning our mistakes, acting transparently, and putting our community first – and that’s exactly what we’re doing here,” Cr Child said.
“Residents can apply for a refund via a secure online form on Council’s website from Wednesday, November 5.
Refunds can be claimed over the next 12 months, and applicants will need to provide basic details about their infringement and payment.”
www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/InfringementRefundScheme