Caught on camera: Brisbane's new parking crackdown triggers $35 million fine haul
Camping chairs, towels and chamois: The tricks drivers are using to dodge Brisbane’s expanding network of automatic parking camerasThe News
Brisbane City Council has handed out almost $35 million in parking infringement notices so far this year, and some inner-city drivers are resorting to covering their number plates to stay one step ahead of a new automatic camera system.
The Key Details
- 176,494 parking fines issued in 2026, totalling $34,941,602
- New static cameras responsible for just over 8000 of those fines
- Cameras now cover more than 40 locations after a 2025 trial
- Council can't fine drivers for obscured plates – that's state law
- Deliberately hiding a plate can carry a maximum 14 years' jail
The Finer Details
The Brisbane City Council's static cameras run around the clock and targeting parking flashpoints across some of city's busiest corridors.
First rolled out at four sites in early 2025, the network has since ballooned to more than 40 locations, with Graham Street in South Brisbane and Park Road in Milton alone accounting for more than 3000 infringement notices.
The cameras pinpoint motorists stopped illegally in clearways, no-stopping zones, bus zones, loading zones and on yellow lines. But according to the ABC some drivers in suburbs such as Newstead have taken to blocking their plates with household items to avoid detection.
Images on social media show a wide range of household items being used to obscure number plates, including towels and even camping chairs.
A Brisbane City Council spokesperson said they were aware of the issue "occurring from time to time" and that "our officers can undertake patrols on foot to determine what's required on a case-by-case basis", they told the ABC.
The council can't issue fines for obscured plates, however, because that falls under state legislation.
A Queensland Police Service spokesperson said plates must be visible from 45 degrees in all directions at 20 metres, and that "plates covered by bull bars, towbars, driving lights, faded or unreadable are all illegal", they told the ABC.
That also means that camping chairs and dishcloths are also likely to incur the wrath of the authorities.
Councillor Sarah Hutton said the council wanted "motorists to think twice before parking illegally", adding that "even a short stop in the wrong place can have a big impact on traffic flow and safety."
The Road Ahead
Legal experts warn the stakes can be much higher than a parking ticket. Avinash Singh, Principal Lawyer at Astor Legal, said number plates must remain "clearly visible and legible from up to 20 metres away" in most states.
In Queensland, deliberately obscuring a plate carries an on-the-spot fine of $341 – but Singh warns it can go much further.
"If police can prove a driver deliberately modified their number plate to avoid detection by speed cameras or toll roads, they could potentially face the criminal offence of perverting the course of justice," he said.
"That offence carries a maximum penalty of 14 years' imprisonment."
The NSW-based lawyer noted that there’s precious little wriggle room and pleading ignorance won’t work, "because this is an absolute liability offence, which means the driver's knowledge of the law is irrelevant".
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