Motorists in Brisbane have been photographed disguising their vehicles' number plates with plastic sheets, camping chairs and dishcloths to avoid detection after Brisbane City Council expanded its automatic parking camera network. The move follows a crackdown that has generated almost $35 million in fines this year, prompting some drivers to resort to illegal cover-up tactics despite the council lacking power to penalise them for doing so.

The 24-hour cameras, which monitor clearways, no-stopping zones, bus and loading zones and yellow lines, launched at four sites in early 2025 before expanding to more than 40 locations in November. More than 8,000 infringement notices have been issued via the camera system, with over 3,000 concentrated on Graham Street in South Brisbane and Park Road in Milton. Queensland Police, which enforces plate-visibility rules, warned that covering a plate is illegal and can attract a $341 fine or court penalties up to $6,452, while the council recorded more than 176,000 parking infringements citywide this year, almost 100,000 from mobile enforcement vehicles alone.