The city council has flagged an increase in fines in its 2022-23 budget after revealing it had taken a softer approach to enforcement over the past year.

Despite the city still being partially locked down in 2021, the council brought in $581,000 in parking fines for the year but that was $100,000 less than it had initially budgeted to bring in.

It is also more than the $526,000 the council netted in fines the previous year.

"Parking fines are expected to increase in 2022-23 as council introduced new parking initiatives - free one-hour off-street parking - during 2021/22 and took a cautious approach to compliance to help assist with the new parking model," the council said.

The move to create more free parking last year - something that had been long called for - came with an increase to parking fees across the city.

That increase sparked backlash at the time, prompting deputy mayor Debbie Arnott to assure residents there would be no such move this year.

"Parking fees are not increasing, so that's a boon for the general public," she said.

Last year the council made the first hour of parking free in the Parkers, Ozone and Crammond and Dickson car parks.

It last year also increased the parking fees for the first time since 2017.

One, two and four-hour zones rose from $1.40 per hour to $2 - a rise of 43 per cent - and all-day car parking will rise from $3 a day to $4, a 33 per cent increase.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:

Now just one tap with our new app: Digital subscribers now have the convenience of faster news, right at your fingertips with The Standard:

Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.