Family First FOI shows $100 million in unpaid fines waived by the State Government and $265 million outstanding

MORE than $100 million in unpaid fines has been written off by the State Government in the past 12 months, figures show.

MORE than $100 million in unpaid fines has been written off by the State Government in the past 12 months, figures show.

A Freedom of Information request by Family First MLC Rob Brokenshire reveals the Government waived outstanding fines totalling $100,924,978 between February last year and the end of last month.

Documents released by the Government also show $265 million in fines remained outstanding at January 31.

The Government opened a dedicated fines enforcement unit with 85 full-time staff at the start of the month.

Attorney-General John Rau said the unit could enforce measures such as suspension of driver's licences, seizing of property, car clamping and could even seek a court order to make an employer to withhold all or part of an employee’s wages to pay back fines.

The unit could also publicly name and shame serial fine dodgers online — however, Family First has previously argued this power is too rarely used.

Mr Brokenshire said the police had the technology to confront fine dodgers in the course of their work and would be more effective in recovering fines than the new unit.

“The Government needs to involve police in finding people and recovering fines,” he said.

Mr Brokenshire also called on the Government to stop writing off fine debts.

Mr Rau said police resources should be directed to reducing crime and improving safety, not collecting fines.

He said a proportion of small debts were more expensive to recover than they were to write off.

About a third of people who do not pay their fines claim financial hardship, he said.

Others cannot be found because they have changed address or given false information.