State Penalties Enforcement Registry debtors working off fines at $30 an hour

Hundreds of Queensland fine and toll dodgers are working off millions of dollars in debt owed to the State at a rate almost double the national minimum wage, with some even allowed to sew toys for abandoned dogs.

FINE and toll dodgers are clearing debts doing community work including making toys for abandoned dogs at rates well above the minimum wage.

Hundreds of debt-laden dodgers are working off millions of dollars owed to the state, with unpaid community work assessed at $30 an hour, almost double the national minimum wage of $18.93.

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The Courier-Mail can reveal the State Government has wiped out about $6.5 million in debts owed to the State Penalties Enforcement Registry in the past 18 months after 1956 debtors undertook unpaid community work.

The rate means a fine defaulter with a debt of $300 would only have to work 10 hours to pay it off.

Removing graffiti, making toys for abandoned dogs, working with councils and other charity work are among the jobs they can undertake.

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said fine dodgers were getting an easy ride under the Palaszczuk Government. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Peled

The Government expects another $7.4 million in debts will be taken off SPER’s books when other existing work and development orders are finalised.

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington yesterday seized on the figures, accusing the Government of giving fine and toll dodgers a “free ride”.

“This is well above the minimum wage and a slap in the face by Labor to low-paid workers struggling to make ends meet,” she said.

Treasurer Jackie Trad returned fire, describing Ms Frecklington’s comments as ridiculous, “given the LNP’s track record on penalty rates and sacking frontline workers”.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad described Ms Frecklington’s comments as ridiculous. AAP Image/Darren England

Since the work and development order program began in December 2017, SPER debtors have undertaken about 220,000 hours of unpaid work through community programs.

Only eligible debtors experiencing financial hardship are allowed to take part in the scheme and they must meet a strict criteria.

“While WDOs provide eligible SPER customers with an option to pay debts via non-monetary means, it should be noted that there are currently more than 700,000 Queenslanders that have a SPER debt,” a Treasury Department spokesman said.

The state is owed millions of dollars in unpaid fines and tolls.

“Of those, 5985 people have applied to undertake a WDO since the program was launched in December 2017.”

In the financial year to April, almost $40 million in debts have been finalised by SPER through non-monetary means. This included debts that had been withdrawn or had been written off because a company had deregistered or debtor had died.