A suburban parking crackdown has erupted into a full-blown stoush after residents on one narrow Sydney street were slapped with fines for parking the same way they say locals have parked for more than half a century.

Locals on Meridian Street in Eastlakes, in Sydney’s inner south, say they’ve long had little choice but to park partly on the kerb because the street is so narrow that cars left fully on the road can make it difficult for anyone else to get through.

But that hasn’t stopped Bayside Council rangers from sweeping through and fining what residents say was virtually the entire street.

Collette Callaghan said the blitz came without warning.

“The ranger came and started to book everyone from the top,” she told 10 News.

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For furious locals, the issue isn’t just the fines.

It’s why council has suddenly decided to crack down on a longstanding practice that residents say has never caused a problem.

“People have been here for 50 years,” Ms Callaghan said.

Residents on a narrow Sydney street say they’ve been blindsided by a council parking blitz that has seen “everyone” booked for a habit locals claim has gone on for decades. Source: 10 News

Matthew Crossingham said the fine he received wiped out “half” his pay.

“It’s just outrageous, ridiculous,” he said.

Another local said residents had always tried to be considerate when parking, leaving enough room for people to get past on foot.

“We’ve been doing this for so long,” he said.

The anger has only deepened because just around the corner on Garden Street, kerbside parking appears to be accommodated with line markings and kerb ditches, leaving Meridian Street residents asking how the same council can effectively operate under two different standards.

One resident says the fines took half of his pay. Source: 10 News

The backlash has now reached the top levels of state politics, with NSW Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig stepping in to challenge the fines and accuse council of ignoring the street’s reality.

In an online video, Mr Hoenig said Meridian Street was designed in another era and simply wasn’t built for modern on-street parking.

“For 60 and 70 years in this narrow street, (the residents have had to) park their cars up on the footpath,” he said.

“If they parked in front of their house, you wouldn’t be able to get a car down the street.”

Mr Hoenig, who said he had lived around the corner for most of his life, said the arrangement had existed for decades without issue.

“But would you believe council rangers book every car? After 50, 60, 70 years, they said, ‘that’s illegal’,” he said.

“Virtually nobody goes into this street unless they live here.”

The NSW Minister for Local Government, Ron Hoenig, has had a gutful. Source: Ron Hoenig

He labelled the saga “bureaucracy gone mad”, but conceded he had no jurisdiction to overturn the penalties because the final decision rests with Bayside Council.

The dispute comes amid broader frustration over suburban parking shortages, with many councils taking a harder line on vehicles parked across footpaths and kerbs.

Councils argue the rules are there for a reason, saying footpath parking can create hazards for older people, parents with prams and residents with mobility issues, who may be forced onto the road.

But for Meridian Street residents, the problem is simple: they say there is nowhere else to put their cars.

Meanwhile, in a nearby street, cars are allowed to park on kerbs. Source: 10 News

Bayside Council has already faced criticism this year after updating its online reporting tool to make it easier for residents to report illegal parking.

The added categories include illegal parking on council roads, vehicles blocking driveways and illegally parked heavy vehicles.

In the Bayside area, fines can exceed $337 for offences such as blocking a footpath or parking across a driveway.

‘Blatant revenue raising’: Resident’s fury at $128 fines

The Eastlakes outrage is also echoing across the border in Victoria, where families on the Mornington Peninsula have accused their local council of revenue raising after being hit with repeated fines for parking on nature strips outside their homes.

Residents there say they’re trying to avoid blocking already narrow streets, but some have been fined multiple times in a matter of weeks.

Tyabb local Rebecca Kappe said she had parked on the nature strip outside her home for 16 years without issue before being fined two months ago.

“It’s infuriating because it’s never been a problem before,” she told 10 News.

Her neighbour Jordan was also booked, receiving two fines in just three days.

“There was never a problem, now there’s a problem,” she said.

In Rosebud, resident Michael Hellwig said he had been fined nine times, leaving him more than $1100 out of pocket.

“It’s just now blatant revenue raising,” he said.

The Mornington Peninsula Shire has maintained that parking on nature strips is illegal under Victorian law and that officers are obliged to enforce it.