CASH-STRAPPED Victorians wanting to challenge their parking fines are coming up against costly council-hired QCs in court.

The top lawyers are being paid with ratepayers’ money to fight people in court over parking fines as low as $61.

In what mimics a David and Goliath battle, the City of Melbourne has forked out more than $123,000 since 2012 to win cases against ordinary ­Victorian drivers.

Documents released under Freedom of Information laws revealed Queen’s Counsel and Senior Counsel lawyers were being regularly paid to represent the council — with some invoices coming in at more than $21,000.

Councillor Richard Foster likened the act of “unleashing” QCs on the public to using a sledgehammer to crack an egg.

“I think it’s in our interests to have a more sympathetic approach rather than unleashing QCs on people,” he said.

Outgoing chief executive Kathy Alexander said the council regularly appeared in court to prosecute parking ­infringements where drivers elected to have the matter heard in front of a magistrate.

“We acknowledge this has been an expensive process, but it has been a necessary one to ensure that the court understands the evidence,” Dr Alexander said. Most of the cases were related to the controversial in-ground sensor technology, which alerts parking inspectors as soon as a vehicle has overstayed.

“The City of Melbourne is working to transition the prosecution of in-ground sensor matters to its internal prosecutions team,” she said.

A total of 162 matters involving in-ground sensor technology have already proceeded to court. The City of Melbourne has about 12,000 paid parking spaces and made $41.8 million from parking fines last financial year.

christopher.gillett@news.com.au