Sydney's speed camera top earners: List of the most lucrative cameras
Speed cameras across NSW raked in a record tally in the last financial year, with one camera alone largely responsible for the increase. In just 10 months the tunnel camera snared 22,000 motorists, raising $7.1 million in fines. SEE THE FULL LIST OF HIGHEST EARNING CAMERAS.
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A staggering number of speed cameras across Sydney are raking in more than $1 million a year in fines with one camera alone banking $7.1 million.
The most lucrative camera in Sydney for the 2019/20 financial year is in newly opened WestConnex M4 East tunnel at Croydon in Sydney’s inner west.
It snapped 22,000 speeding motorists travelling east and west at an average of about 75 tickets per day.
What makes the total even more incredible is that the camera has only been operational since September. Therefore it has amassed its record $7.1m in fines in just 10 months.
The data for the 2019/20 financial year reveals tunnel cameras are the top earners with the top four most lucrative all inside tunnels.
The M4 East tunnel was one of 25 speed camera locations across Sydney which each raked in more than $1 million over the past 12 months.
The Eastern Distributor between Oxford St and William St in Darlinghurst was second on the list with $5.5m in fines from 20,593 tickets.
The camera in the Lane Cove Tunnel between Mowbray Rd and the Pacific Highway took third spot with $3.9m from 14,609 tickets.
Rounding out the top five were the camera in the M5 Tunnel between Bexley Rd and Marsh St , Bardwell Park with $2.6m from 8564 tickets and the Princes Highway between Gray St and President Ave, Kogarahwith $2.m from 9302 tickets (see the full list below).
NSW Revenue releases data on each speed camera across the state and has recorded a spike in speed camera earnings during the last 12 months, largely due to the number of fines being issued in the new M4 East tunnel.
During the 2019/2020 financial year, speed cameras across NSW issued 445,000 tickets worth $108.5 million, up from 438,000 tickets worth $99 million the year prior.
That revenue goes into the Community Road Safety Fund to support initiatives such as road safety upgrades and programs, high visibility police operations, and raised pedestrian crossings.
A Transport for NSW spokeswoman said speed cameras were proven to slow drivers down, reduce the road toll and lower the chance of crashes.
But Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance executive director Brian Marlow said low income families often struggled to pay the large fines, and there were better ways to enforce the speed limit.
“I don’t think anyone is against enforcing speed limits. But it has to be done in the right way.
“Just whacking up cameras on every corner is not the way to do it, because you financially affect people that cannot afford it.
“There are better ways to do it.”
He said many of the cameras were set up in lower socio-economic areas including parts of western Sydney.
He said increased police patrols kept people’s speed down and was a much better alternative to catching people out with cameras.
Peter Khoury, from the NRMA, agreed speed cameras played an important part in reducing the road toll and slowing drivers down.
However, he said if motorists were continuing to speed in the same areas each year, something more needed to be done.
“Ultimately what we want is for people to slow down. If they keep being fined they are not slowing down.”
He said it was important that data from speed cameras was used strategically – such as by introducing more signage and improving roading in the most ticketed areas.
He warned against simply collecting fines without continuing to be strategic, but said good reviews had been done in Sydney to monitor the effectiveness of speed cameras.
He also said tunnel cameras had an important role to play.
“We want people to slow down in tunnels,” he added. “They can be a dangerous place, you don’t want an accident or fire in a tunnel.”
The vast majority of speed camera tickets come from fixed cameras and red-light speed cameras but mobile cameras are also in use across Sydney.
SPEED CAMERAS ISSUING MORE THAN $1 MILLION IN FINES IN SYDNEY (2019/20 financial year):
Croydon (WestConnex M4 East tunnel): $7.1m from 22,094 tickets
Darlinghurst (Eastern Distributor between Oxford St and William St): $5.5m from 20,593 tickets
Lane Cove (Lane Cove Tunnel between Mowbray Rd and the Pacific Highway): $3.9m from 14,609 tickets
Bardwell Park (M5 Tunnel between Bexley Rd and Marsh St): $2.6m from 8564 tickets
Kogarah (Princes Highway between Gray St and President Ave): $2.5 from 9302 tickets
Moore Park (Cleveland St between Anzac Parade and South Dowling St): $2.1m from 11,379 tickets
West Pymble (intersection of Ryde Rd and Lady Game Drive): $2m from 4422 tickets
Bankstown (Hume Highway between Rookwood Rd and Stacey St): $1.8m from 6985 tickets
Central Sydney (Cross City Tunnel between McLachlan Ave and Harbour St): $1.8m from 6723 tickets
Wahroonga (Pacific Highway between Gilda Ave and Woodville Ave): $1.8m from 8736 tickets
Randwick (Avoca St between Howard St and Barker Rd): $1.8m from 9293 tickets
Ryde (Victoria Rd between Margaret St and Cressy Rd): $1.7m from 6618 tickets
Eastgardens (Bunnerong Rd between Fitzgerald Ave and Smith St): $1.7m from 6523 tickets
Rosebery (Botany Rd between Gardeners Rd and Gillespie St): $1.6m from 7105 tickets
Kingswood (Parker Street between Copeland St and Gascoigne St): $1.6m from 5129 tickets
Bonnyrigg (Cabramatta Rd between Katinka Street and Tarlington Parade): $1.4m from 4925 tickets
North Ryde (intersection of Lane Cove Rd and Coxs Rd): $1.4m from 4720 tickets
North Narrabeen (Pittwater Road between Garden Street and Namona Street): $1.3m from 4456 tickets
Lindfield (Pacific Highway between Eton Road and Gladstone Parade): $1.3m from 5151 tickets
Beverly Hills (King Georges Rd between Stoney Creek Road and Edgbaston Road): $1.3m from 4936 tickets
Pennant Hills (intersection of Pennant Hills Rd and Beecroft Rd): $1.2m from 4465 tickets
Strathfield (The Boulevarde between Torrington Parade and Russell St): $1.2m from 4223 tickets
Narraweena (Warringah Road near the intersection with May Rd): $1.1m from 2917 tickets
St Marys (intersection of Great Western Highway and Charles Hackett Drive): $1m from 4661 tickets
Liverpool (Bigge St between Elizabeth Drive and Campbell St): $1m from 4953 tickets