Qld car rego, traffic fines set to rise

Queensland motorists are facing increases to car registration fees, while those who get served state government fines and penalties can expect them to soar by 7.7 per cent.

Queensland motorists with a standard four-cylinder vehicle will pay an extra $19 on their registration bill next financial year, while the value of fines and penalties will soar by 7.7 per cent.

Treasurer Cameron Dick will announce on Friday that the standard car registration bill will climb by 2.5 per cent in 2023-24, while other state government fees and charges will jump by 3.4 per cent.

Both increases are well below Brisbane’s inflation rate of 7.7 per cent for the 2022 calendar year.

But the move will see the cost of registering a four cylinder vehicle – including the cost of compulsory third party insurance – jump from $773.55 to about $792.

The registration increase is less than the current rate of inflation. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

The government has touted the registration fee increase as a cut in “real terms”, when comparing it to the inflation rate.

The 3.4 per cent increase for all other government fees and charges is bigger than the 2.5 per cent fee hike in 2022-23, the 1.7 per cent jump in 2021-22, and the 1.8 per cent increase in 2020-21.

Mr Dick said setting government indexation at 3.4 per cent was about “ensuring that unavoidable fees and charges remain affordable”.

“Queenslanders are experiencing significant cost of living pressures,” Mr Dick said.

“That’s why we are lowering the rate of indexation on car registration costs compared to last year, meaning those costs will fall in real terms.

“We are setting indexation well below the rate of inflation.”

Meanwhile, the value of state government fines and penalties will increase by a significant 7.7 per cent in line with the inflation rate.

Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

It means motorists busted speeding up to 11km/h over the limit will now cop a $309 fine – up from the current penalty of $287.

The fine for travelling 11km/h but no more than 20km/h over the speed limit will increase from $431 to $464.

And the penalty for using a mobile phone behind the wheel or not wearing a seatbelt will soar from $1078 to $1161.

The fine for running a red light will increase by an extra $44 to reach $619.

The 7.7 per cent increase for fines and penalties is well above the 4.3 per cent hike in the 2022-23 financial year.

In last year’s Budget, the government forecast that it would make $775m from fines and forfeitures in the 2023-24 financial year.

Only earlier this month, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk defended her government’s approach to cost of living – pointing to over $6bn in concessions that had been delivered.