David Chan, who along with two others got fined for parking on the kerb in front of his house on Stanfield Drive, Upper Coomera, Gold Coast. Photo: Regi Varghese

David Chan arrived home from work last week to find he and two neighbours were given tickets for parking on the verge outside their Stanfield Dr homes.

Mr Chan said to add insult to injury a number of other neighbours were parked in similar positions in the same street at the same time had not been issued with a fine.

“I think it stinks,” he said.

Nathan Chan says he’s parked his car in this spot in front of his house in Upper Coomera for two decades and suddenly he’s been fined. Photo: Regi VargheseSource:News Limited

“We were just doing the normal thing.”

Mr Chan said he thought the parking officers should have fined all the cars on the street or none at all.

“As families grow there are more cars and the street is rather narrow to safely park in,” he said.

Mr Chan said he had never received any kind of complaint about parking in the spot despite living in the street for two decades.

He was stunned the parking inspectors had travelled out to the suburb to issue just three fines.

“It’s a quiet street and there is no reason for them to be coming around doing it,” he said.

Mr Chan said it was the first time he had seen parking inspectors in the area.

Upper Coomera divisional councillor William Owen-Jones said he had been made aware of the issue.

“It is my understanding there were three cars parked off the road on the verge and they were given a fine,” he said.

Councillor William Owen-Jones. Photo: Jerad WilliamsSource:News Corp Australia

Mr Chan, a party-hire business owner, has lodged a complaint with the Gold Coast City Council about the fine.

Cr Owen-Jones said he did not know if other cars were parked in similar places as he was not there at the time.

He said the parking inspectors had visited the street after council had received a complaint.

“They really don’t drive all the way out to the suburbs to fine people,” he said.

Cr Owen-Jones said parking inspectors tended to target inner-city areas where cars taking up spaces may be hindering access to businesses.

He said parking inspectors were merely responding to the complaint.

“They were enforcing a state law, not a local law,” he said.

Cr Owen-Jones said parking needed to be enforced to ensure fairness.

“There are standards in the city and parking is an issue throughout the city,” he said.

“Residents are not allowed to parking with their vehicle on the grass footpath as it blocks access for pedestrians.”

The Gold Coast City Council website said assistance could be given to those disputing a fine if a valid reason was given.