The $4m worth of nanny state fines destroying our quality of life

Over the past five years, NSW residents have been stung for bizarre offences such as climbing trees and playing musical instruments too loud, as killjoy Revenue NSW stands accused of ‘micromanaging’ our every day lives.

Climbing a tree in a public park, playing an instrument too loudly at home or walking your dog without a name tag or collar could land you in hot water – with millions of dollars worth of fines dished out for little-known reasons over the past five years.

Over the past five years, NSW residents have paid more than $4 billion dollars in fines to Revenue NSW.

According to their data, the most commonly issued fine in NSW comes from speed cameras catching drivers speeding 10km over the limits – with almost three million tickets issued for the offence since July 2019.

But some seemingly innocuous acts could leave you owing hundreds of dollars to the state.

Honking your horn to say goodbye to nan as you pull out of her driveway is a fineable offence in NSW, and can cost you a whopping $410.

In the past five financial years, 630 people have been fined for misuse of a horn – totalling $226,000, according to data obtained from Revenue NSW.

People have been fined for climbing a tree in a public park.

If your child is learning to play the recorder, you might consider asking them to pipe down – as playing a musical instrument and “emitting offensive noise” could cost you a cool $300.

Since 2019, eight unlucky individuals have copped a fine for playing a little too loudly (or badly).

Climbing a tree in the public domain is also an offence in NSW. Who knew? While it’s written into legislation, just one unlucky climber has been hit with a $220 fine in the past five years.

Not keeping a collar or name tag on your dog while out in public can leave you $180 in the red, with almost 1000 people fined for the offence since July 2019.

If your dog has ever escaped, consider yourself lucky if you weren’t hit with a fine.

A shocking $1.8 million in fine has been paid to Revenue NSW over the past five years, with more than 8200 fines issued for failing to prevent dog escaping.

While almost everyone would agree that you should be fined for not picking up after your dog in public – only two people have been fined for the offence over the past five years. With the amount of posts complaining about the issue in local Facebook groups – you’d think it would be plenty more.

Playing a musical instrument too loud has also incurred the wrath of Revenue NSW.

Not locking your car doors or leaving your windows open can also end in fines – and apparently it’s pretty common. Since July 2019, more than 2300 people have been fined for the offence.

NSW MP John Ruddick said some of the strange fines were an example of “micromanaging” by the government.

“These laws are always brought in with the best of intentions, but they are brought in by politicians who believe it’s their role to be our school headmaster,” he told the Telegraph.

“Do we want the role of our government to be like our parents who micromanage our lives?”

Mr Ruddick said for every new fine introduced, two old laws should be rescinded.

Revenue NSW is responsible for administering fines on behalf of more than 200 issuing authorities, including the NSW Police Force, Transport for NSW and local governments in accordance with the Fines Act 1996.