Council warns abuse and threats not on

Council’s Local Laws Manager Phil Amson says verbal abuse and threats against Council parking officers won’t be tolerated.

Council is prepared to prosecute offenders. Mr Amson says the warning follows a recent trend in this type of behaviour.

“Threatening, insulting or using abusive language to an authorised person is an offence under Noosa’s Local Laws, one that can attract fines of up to $2610, with serious matters brought before the courts,” he says.

Just last month, a magistrate fined a Tewantin man $900 and ordered him to pay $349 court costs over an incident in June.

“In that incident, the man approached the parking officer as he was issuing an infringement notice to another motorist and unleashed a tirade of abuse,” Mr Amson said.

Mr Amson said anyone tempted to verbally abuse or threaten a Council parking officer should think twice.

“Council takes this sort of behaviour very seriously and as the recent court case shows magistrates too are prepared to take a hard line.

“While the June incident was serious enough to go before the court, Council officers can issue on-the-spot $261 fines for other incidents of threatening behaviour,” he said.

“To avoid a parking ticket, follow the rules. Verbally abusing a parking officer for doing his or her job when you’ve parked illegally is not going to get you anywhere other than on the receiving end of another fine, or potentially before the court.”

31 October 2018