Driving fines, speeding behind region’s $50m SPER debt

Thousands of people across the region who owe unpaid fines and penalties can expect a knock on the door or to have their cars clamped, seized or sold as the state cracks down on a staggering overdue bill.

Wide Bay Burnett residents who owe money to SPER have been put on notice ahead of a weeklong crackdown which will include cars being clamped, seized, and sold.

Debtors across the Wide Bay and Burnett are on warning with authorities seizing cars and knocking on doors as part of a crackdown on more than $50m in unpaid fines and penalties.

This week’s crackdown was announced in a media release from the State Penalties and Enforcement Registry, which will stretch from Gympie to Bundaberg and out west.

Those with outstanding debts will be visited at their homes and their workplaces to collect on bills which have been accumulated primarily through the misuse of vehicles.

Driving offences (not including speeding) accounted for the largest slice of the outstanding SPER debt with $10.99m still owed across the region.

Speeding’s omission from that category made it the second most common offense, with $9.69m owed by those with a lead foot.

The third largest slice of the debt was owed for vehicle fines and penalties at $5.71m, with $5.17m owed for “other” offences.

Unpaid fines from driving related offences including speeding accounted for more than $26m of the outstanding SPER debt across the Wide Bay Burnett region. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Debt recovery offences ironically rounded out the top five, with $4.89m still owed for those.

Public order offences, tolling, drug crimes, stealing, and fraud and extortion related offences rounded out the rest of the top 10.

The $50m owed was shared across more than 132,000 debts, with SPER reporting from March 2022 to March 2023 it clawed back $15.94m from 25,214 debtors.

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SPER enforcement director Kim Easton said the “tough action” to encourage debtors to pay up “includes having money taken from their wages or bank accounts through garnishment powers or having their cars clamped, seized and sold to meet their obligations”.

SPER data shows staggering eight figure region-wide debt is predominantly caused by bad behaviour behind the wheel.

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Some residents across the region who still owe SPER money face the possibility of having vehicles seized and sold as the state government tries to recoup monies owed.

Mr Easton said the residents across the region with outstanding bills had been put on notice.

“SPER has contacted thousands of people in the region to remind them of their outstanding debts and the need to act immediately – one final chance to do the right thing before we’re forced to take strong action,” Mr Easton said.

“In the last three months, SPER officers have seized more than 120 vehicles, with 10 of these sold at auction because people refused to pay.”

“The best thing to do is pay your fine on time, because the consequences of not acting are serious.”