Every Tuesday night for 12 years, St Vincent de Paul Society volunteer Ivan Pace has set out in his car to pick up bread donated to children and families in need.
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But this week Mr Pace, 71, of East Maitland, received a $519 fine for parking in a disabled space while collecting bread at Green Hills shopping centre.
Another volunteer aged 78 was also fined, while the two men parked for 20 minutes to load bags of bread into trolleys from Bakers Delight.
It was 6.30pm on Tuesday at the shopping centre, there were few shoppers, most retailers had closed for the day and there were 50 empty car parking spaces around Mr Pace’s car.
Despite attempts to explain his charity work to the council ranger at the scene, two fines were issued, but a third volunteer, also parked in a disabled space, was let off.
“I have parked in the same spot for 12 years because it is easy access for us with loaded trolleys,” Mr Pace said.
“We go there at the same time every week because the shops are closed and nobody else is using the car park.
“We are not in anybody’s way, we are not impeding anybody’s access, we are not there for ourselves.
“We are pensioners in our 70s and we do this for charity, to help needy families.”
Mr Pace does not know how he will afford to pay the fine and called it heavy handed.
“The ranger could have given us a warning instead. What he did was a bit harsh,” he said.
“I think commonsense could have been used in this situation.”
Mr Pace delivers donated bread to an East Maitland school, where children receive a free breakfast every morning, and to eight or nine families in need across the city.
Meanwhile, Mr Pace intends to write to authorities to ask for compassion.
New state government laws introduced this month allow police and council rangers to issue tougher on-the-spot fines and the loss of one demerit point to motorists illegally parked in disabled spaces on streets and in parking stations.
