South Australian motorists could soon be protected from ticketless parking fines issued weeks after an alleged offence, under proposed reforms to the use of AI-assisted council camera cars.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said council inspectors would have to issue a physical infringement notice at the scene, while councils would remain able to use camera technology to enforce parking rules.
The change would end the current practice of sending fines through the post after they have been generated by camera vehicles. Drivers would instead be notified immediately, giving them the opportunity to understand the alleged offence and challenge it.
“When fines arrive in the mail weeks after being issued through AI-assisted technology, motorists lose the chance to understand the offence and gather evidence to challenge it,” Mr Malinauskas said.
Concerns over South Australia parking enforcement
The technology has been operating in Adelaide since 2021 and is also used by councils in Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, the Gold Coast and Geelong.
An Adelaide council review found that Park Safe vehicles issued more than 27,000 fines during the first three quarters of the 2025-26 financial year. Drivers submitted 2,353 requests for reviews during that period, with 702 fines later withdrawn.
Mr Malinauskas said the number of successful challenges indicated that the existing system needed greater oversight.
“The rate of challenged fines being withdrawn shows something isn’t right with the current system,” he said. “Councils can still enforce parking rules, but they must do so in a way that is transparent, accountable and fair.”
The reforms follow scrutiny of automated parking enforcement in South Australia. Earlier this year, a motorist was fined for allegedly parking in a bicycle lane despite saying he had been attempting to parallel park. The fine was later withdrawn.
The case raised questions about whether camera vehicles could properly assess situations in which a car was stopped temporarily or carrying out a parking manoeuvre.
“Technology has a role to play, but not at the expense of basic fairness for South Australian motorists,” Mr Malinauskas said.
