Brisbane's parking enforcement has gone automatic — and some drivers have gone analogue in response. Residents in enforcement hot spots have taken to obscuring their number plates with plastic sheets, camping chairs and dishcloths to avoid being pinged by the council's new automatic camera system, the ABC reports, with cars in Newstead photographed with their plates blocked from the licence-plate readers.
The stakes are considerable. Between its mobile enforcement vehicles, officers on foot and the new static cameras, Brisbane City Council has issued 176,494 parking infringement notices this calendar year — a total of $34,941,602. The mobile enforcement vehicles alone have delivered almost 100,000 infringements since January 1.
The cameras, and the loophole
The new cameras run 24/7 in parking complaint hotspots and account for just over 8,000 of this year's fines. First rolled out in four hotspots in early 2025 before expanding to more than 40 locations in November, they target motorists stopped illegally in clearways, no stopping zones, bus zones, loading zones and on yellow lines — and just two locations, Graham Street in South Brisbane and Park Road in Milton, account for more than 3,000 notices between them.
The plate-hiders have found the system's seam: the council is unable to issue infringement notices for obscured or altered number plates, which fall under state legislation. A council spokesperson said they were aware of the issue "occurring from time to time". "Our officers can undertake patrols on foot to determine what's required on a case-by-case basis," the spokesperson said.
Where the police come in
The workaround is still illegal — it's just a different agency's job. A Queensland Police Service spokesperson said number plates must be visible from 45 degrees in all directions at 20 metres. "That means that plates covered by bull bars, towbars, driving lights, faded or unreadable are all illegal," the spokesperson said. "This also includes plates tucked up under parts of the vehicle or covered by any material." Police regularly check plate condition and issue fines where they don't comply.
For the council, the cameras are about traffic, not revenue. "When a vehicle parks illegally in a clearway, no stopping zone or bus zone, it causes delays for thousands of people trying to reach their destinations," said Civic Cabinet Chair for Customer Services Councillor Sarah Hutton, adding the council wanted "motorists to think twice before parking illegally". "Even a short stop in the wrong place can have a big impact on traffic flow and safety." Between the dishcloths on the plates and the foot patrols sent to lift them, Brisbane's parking wars have simply moved to a new front.