SA Budget 2020: Police to get new high-definition cameras to catch drivers using mobile phones
New high-definition cameras will soon start catching idiot drivers using their phones behind the wheel under a $20m Budget spend.
Police & Courts
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Distracted drivers using their mobile phones will be caught by new high-definition cameras to be installed by September 2022.
South Australia will follow the lead of NSW, where such cameras have been nabbing offenders since March.
State Budget projections showed the cameras would generate more than $15.6m in revenue in just the first year of operation – or about $300,000 a week.
The government allocated $19.4m in the 2020-21 budget to establish the project.
The new fixed cameras would be installed at “high-risk” sites throughout metropolitan Adelaide.
They are expected to be in operation by September 2022.
The government projected revenue from the cameras would be more than $17m in 2023-24.
Currently, using a mobile phone while driving cost motorists $544, plus a $60 Victims of Crime Levy. That levy would increase by $30 in January.
Police Minister Vincent Tarzia said the camera project showed the government was prioritising road safety.
“Drivers who choose to send a text message or make a phone call are risking their lives and the lives of other road users,” Mr Tarzia said.
“This type of behaviour is unacceptable and driving habits like mobile phone use can cause tragedies on our roads.”
Also announced in the budget was the upfront payment of vehicle clamping and impound fees. In other words, offenders would not be able to retrieve their impounded car until payment was made.
This initiative was expected to generate $1.5m per year, starting from 2021-22.
That revenue would offset the costs of discontinuing the “user-pays scheme” – meaning police would have a presence at major events at no cost to the organiser.
In a significant funding boost, SA Police received nearly $35m to give officers greater mobile connectivity for officers on the road.
The money would contribute towards new mobile apps, reducing paperwork.
Meanwhile, budget cash was thrown at the state’s Coroners Court, in attempts to reduce its significant backlog of cases.
More than $900,000 would go towards the appointment an additional Deputy Coroner as well as associated support staff.
The facade of the Sir Samuel Way building – housing SA’s District Court – would be upgraded at a cost of $11.6m over three years.
And more than $600,000 would be spent on bolstering security at five regional courts.
The State Budget also included $500,000 to be spent on developing a business case for a new rehabilitation prison.
gabriel.polychronis@news.com.au
DETAILED BUDGET READING
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SPORTS UPGRADES: $40m upgrades for Memorial Drive, Hindmarsh Stadium
ANALYSIS: Why this Budget will change SA forever
BUSINESS: Payroll tax holiday extended
ACROSS SA: What’s in the Budget where you live
