In short
- Sunshine Coast is patrolled by camera cars and officers on foot. Sunshine Coast Council covers the centre; every other council runs its own.
- Timed and paid parking is only enforced during the hours on the sign. Outside those hours it is free and unrestricted.
- The most common fine is overstaying the sign or not paying: $86.
- On Rangr Dangr neighbours drop a pin when they see an officer. Tap I parked here and you get a buzz if one is reported near your car.
How Sunshine Coast enforces parking
Two councils cover the area: Sunshine Coast Council (Caloundra, Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, Buderim, Nambour and the hinterland) and Noosa Shire Council. Each runs its own parking officers.
Fine amounts are set by the state, and unpaid ones end up with State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER).
Camera cars and sensors
Sunshine Coast Council's ParkSmart hybrid vehicle drives through suburbs with number plate recognition cameras and GPS, checking timed parking, paid parking, loading zones and no-stopping areas. A council officer verifies each alert and the notice is posted to the registered owner, usually within 5 to 8 business days.
When they patrol
Timed and paid zones are enforced to the days and hours printed on each sign. Council gives no single set of enforcement hours.
Where they go
Parking officers go where turnover matters. In Sunshine Coast that means:
- PARKnGO Lightning Lane, Maroochydore City Centre
- PARKnGO Mooloolaba Central, Mooloolaba
- Caloundra CBD (2P limit applies)
- Nambour town centre
- Maleny town centre
- Noosa Heads Lions Park (4 hour limit, 8am to 5pm)
Rangr Dangr members mark sightings on the live map as they happen. The Ranger risk map in the app shades the streets and hours where sightings cluster, so you can see a street's pattern before you park there.
What gets booked
These are the fines Sunshine Coast drivers see most, from the current schedule. The figure on your notice is the one that counts.
| Offence | Fine |
|---|---|
| Park longer than the time limit on the sign | $86 |
| No ticket or paid session in a paid zone | $51 |
| Disobey a No Parking sign | $129 |
| Disobey a No Stopping sign | $129 |
| Stop in a loading zone | $129 |
| Stop in a bus zone | $129 |
| Stop across a driveway or footpath | $129 |
| Park on a footpath or nature strip | $129 |
The full list, the deadlines and how to dispute a notice: Sunshine Coast parking fines, decoded.
Getting a heads-up
Rangr Dangr is a live, neighbour-powered map. It started on the streets of Newcastle and works anywhere in Australia: the more Sunshine Coast neighbours on it, the better the heads-up. When someone spots an officer they double-tap the map where they saw them and tap which way they are heading. Everyone nearby sees the pin, and it fades after 20 minutes so the map is always now.
Park and pin it.
Tap I parked here when you leave the car, with an optional 2P timer.
Neighbours spot the officer.
Someone two streets over drops a sighting and the direction they are walking.
You get the heads-up.
Your phone buzzes with how far away they are and which way they are heading, even with the app closed.
The rules we play by
- No names, photos or plates. A sighting is a place and a time, not a person.
- Never confront anyone. Parking officers are doing their job. Give them room.
- Not a live tracker. Every pin expires. Enough Not there votes clear it early.
- Park legally. A heads-up is a reminder to move your car, not permission to overstay.
Good to know.
When do parking officers patrol in Sunshine Coast?
Timed and paid zones are enforced to the days and hours printed on each sign. Council gives no single set of enforcement hours. Outside those hours timed and paid parking is free.
Does Sunshine Coast use cars with number plate cameras?
Sunshine Coast Council's ParkSmart hybrid vehicle drives through suburbs with number plate recognition cameras and GPS, checking timed parking, paid parking, loading zones and no-stopping areas. A council officer verifies each alert and the notice is posted to the registered owner, usually within 5 to 8 business days.
Is it legal to tell people where an officer is?
Telling a neighbour an officer is on the street is the same as telling a mate over the fence. Rangr Dangr records a place and a time, never a person: no names, photos or plates, and every sighting expires in 20 minutes. Never confront an officer.
How does the Rangr Dangr alert work?
Tap I parked here when you leave the car. If anyone reports a sighting inside your chosen distance, your phone buzzes, even with the app closed. Add it to your Home Screen so alerts arrive in the background; on iPhone that step is required.
Officer near your car? You’ll know.
Free, no download. Rangr Dangr runs in your phone’s browser. Add it to your Home Screen and the alerts find you with the app closed.