In Sydney I've started to notice these post-top fittings which appear, from the ground, to be small photo-electric cells facing north.

There are no parking sensors in the adjacent road surface that I can find, and the parking notices are traditional printed signs, not electronic.

I am guessing, as I don't know the suburb or the street but it appears to be a solar cell powering a compliance system of some sort. Most parking meter sensors are just round discs glued to the road in the middle of marked parking spaces. Have the people installed inductive loops instead? It may be worth checking.

I've never seen this sort of thing before.

Is there a correlation between the placement of the gadget and parking permit holder spaces?
Can it detect if a space is occupied by a legitimate permit holder?
Harold

There is no evidence of a loop. In fact, going by their aging, the road, kerb and gutter surfaces look to be original. The grass around the base of the post is undisturbed. There is no sign of any antenna.

I noticed another one today where there is no Zone mentioned, however there are parking restrictions.

Curious!

Pinhole Cameras taking pictures of registration plates?

I was thinking more that the gadget was looking for a permit holder tag (RFID?) rather than the presence of a car. Not unlike the toll tags.
Does any member have a parking permit to see if this is a possibility.
Harold

Have a look in Cottonwood Cresent Maquarie Park. Down by the park
Each parking space is identified by by a marker on the guttering. It gives street name and a space number.

Wayne.

How common are these gadget things? Where are they?

I'm thinking that it's just a piece of metal that does nothing by itself. But the shape suggests it's a holder for a solar panel to power an emergency phone or some other thing. I saw something like it the other day on the Hume Hwy - with the solar panel and phone.

Driving around this morning I saw some more of these. This time in Landers Rd, Lane Cove and again on posts in restricted parking zones, although only on one post at the head of say 6 or 7 marked spaces.

Google street view doesn't show them but the latest camera run there was way back in 2020, so they have appeared in the interim.

It's my guess it's a transponder letting camera cars know where they are. Just to make it easier for inspectors to find them