Parking Fine in Tea Tree Gully: Pay Within 28 Days, Dispute Online, or Name the Real Driver (Modbury, SA)

If you get a parking fine from the City of Tea Tree Gully, you have until the due date on the notice to pay or dispute it, and after 28 days from the date of the expiation Council sends a reminder notice with a late fee added. You can pay online, by phone on 8397 7313, by cheque or money order, or at the Civic Centre at 571 Montague Road, Modbury, as of 8 November 2026.

This guide follows five City of Tea Tree Gully pages, all read on Sunday 8 November 2026: Traffic and parking, Dispute a fine or expiation, the disabled and private parking page, the nomination page and the abandoned and impounded vehicles page. Tickets and fines are officially called expiation notices. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Why did I get a parking fine in Tea Tree Gully?

Council says parking restrictions exist to improve traffic flow and to ensure the safe and fair use of roads for everyone. They follow the Australian Road Rules and are shown on signs covering an area or a space. It is the driver’s responsibility to read the parking signs each time they park and before they leave the vehicle. The expiation notice displays the type of alleged offence.

A notice can be handed to you, secured under your windscreen wiper blade, or sent by mail to the registered address of the vehicle. The fee for each offence is set by the State Government and applies to all councils. Council’s page says fee increases are gazetted after the State Budget and take effect from 1 July each year. The page does not list the amounts, so check your notice.

Does Council police shopping centre car parks?

Sometimes. Council may provide services under the Private Parking Areas Act 1986 in private car parks within the City of Tea Tree Gully. Parking expiations can be issued on private property if the owner and Council have made an agreement for Council enforcement of that private parking area, for example a shopping centre car park. The car parks with an agreement display the appropriate signage. Westfield Tea Tree Plaza says its car parks are patrolled by parking inspectors from the City of Tea Tree Gully Council, and our Westfield Tea Tree Plaza parking guide lists its time limits.

How do I see the photo of my offence?

Allow one working day from the date the expiation was issued before you look. You need the expiation notice number (at the top of your notice), the vehicle registration number and the offence date. Council says the photo shows the offence at the time it was taken, with the date, time and location, and the type of offence. Look at it before you dispute, because the dispute form itself tells you to view the photo first.

How do I pay a parking fine?

Way to pay	Details from Council
Online	Council’s online services, Mastercard and Visa
Phone	8397 7313, during office hours
Post	Cheque or money order to City of Tea Tree Gully, 571 Montague Road, Modbury 5092
In person	Civic Centre, 571 Montague Road, Modbury

Pay in full by the due date to avoid a late fee. If you need a short extension, call 8397 7444. To spread the payment over a longer period, contact the Fines Enforcement and Recovery Unit on 1800 659 538 to make a payment arrangement.

What happens if I ignore the fine?

After 28 days from the date of the expiation, Council sends a reminder notice with a late fee applied. If payment is not received by the reminder notice due date, the matter is forwarded to the Fines Enforcement and Recovery Unit, which sends a notice saying an Enforcement Determination has been made. Council also says that once a reminder notice has been received and its due date has passed, Council cannot consider an appeal, because the matter has been transferred to that unit. Any enquiries after that go to the unit on 1800 659 538.

How do I dispute a parking fine?

Council says you can dispute a fine if you think a mistake was made in issuing it, or if there are other reasons you want Council to consider. Before you start, have the expiation notice number, the offence date and the vehicle registration number.

1. Go to the Expiations self-service portal, enter the infringement details and search.
2. Select an action. You need to register an account to lodge an appeal.
3. Choose “Lodge appeal” and explain the grounds for the dispute.
4. Give your current address, telephone number, date of birth and driver’s licence number, the details of the expiation (such as the reference number) and evidence to support your dispute.
5. Submit before the expiation due date.

You can instead use a Council form. There is an online parking expiation notice dispute form, plus printable forms for a parking notice, a parking notice involving a disabled permit, and other expiations. Return a printed form to the Civic Centre, or post it to City of Tea Tree Gully, 571 Montague Road, Modbury 5092.

Once your dispute is received, Council acknowledges and assesses it and puts the notice on hold while it does. You then receive written notice of the outcome, with a new payment due date if applicable. If you are not satisfied, you can lodge a second dispute. It must use the form, and Council says new evidence is required.

What if I was not driving?

If you were not driving at the time of the offence you can nominate the driver, or, if you were not the owner at the time, give the details of the new owner. Do not pay the expiation. Council issues a notice to the person you name once it receives your nomination, and withdraws the notice issued to you.

• Australian Road Rules offence: complete a nomination stating the name, address, date of birth and driver’s licence number of the driver or new owner. It can be done online or printed and posted to 571 Montague Road, Modbury SA 5092.
• Private Parking Areas Act offence (for example a shopping centre car park): do not use the online nomination form. Complete a statutory declaration with the same details, signed by a Justice of the Peace. Council says it has a Justice of the Peace on site who can help with the declaration requirements.

Can I take the fine to court?

Yes, by electing to be prosecuted. Council warns that going to court may cost you more than the original expiation amount, and suggests discussing the process first with the Compliance Team on 8397 7313. Electing to be prosecuted means the original notice is withdrawn, the decision is final, you cannot have the notice reinstated or pay it afterwards, and you may receive a summons to attend court. To elect, complete the Election to be Prosecuted form on the original notice or the reminder notice, or submit a dispute saying you intend to elect and giving your reasons.

What about disabled parking and towed vehicles?

Council does not issue disabled persons parking permits, and its page points to where to apply. To report a parking issue or problem, phone 8397 7444 during office hours. To report a vehicle left in your street for an extended period, or one causing a safety hazard or obstruction, phone 8397 7313 during office hours. If you think your vehicle has been towed, call the same number to confirm and have your registration number ready.

What do the official pages not say?

• The fine amounts and the late fee, which Council says the State Government sets.
• How long an online dispute takes to assess.
• The Civic Centre’s counter hours (see Council’s contact page).

Sources

• City of Tea Tree Gully: Dispute a fine or expiation (payment, dispute steps, nomination, 28 days, prosecution; read 8 November 2026)
• City of Tea Tree Gully: Traffic and parking (read 8 November 2026)
• City of Tea Tree Gully: Parking, disabled parking areas and private parking areas (read 8 November 2026)
• City of Tea Tree Gully: Nomination for alleged parking offences (read 8 November 2026)
• City of Tea Tree Gully: Abandoned and impounded vehicles (read 8 November 2026)
• Westfield Tea Tree Plaza: Parking (Council inspectors patrol the car parks; read 7 November 2026)

Featured image: Gallery 1855 in Tea Tree Gully, September 2021, a local landmark and not a parking photo (photo: Dan Monceaux / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the City of Tea Tree Gully, the Fines Enforcement and Recovery Unit or Westfield. This is general information, not legal advice; read your expiation notice and check Council’s website for the current process.