One Aussie state could abolish $3.2 million in unpaid Covid fines

Any outstanding Covid fines could be wiped as one state plans to abolish $3.2m in unpaid fines. Here’s why.

Pressure is mounting on the Queensland government to follow New South Wales’ lead and abolish millions of dollars in unpaid COVID-19 fines.

With $3.2 million outstanding from more than 2,000 fines issued during the pandemic, calls for amnesty are growing louder.

This follows NSW’s recent decision to withdraw outstanding Covid-related penalties after legal challenges.

Pressure for Queensland to abolish millions in unpaid Covid fees is mounting. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Now, Queenslanders are questioning why their state isn’t doing the same.

Katter’s Australian Party deputy leader Nick Dametto is leading the charge, urging the government to show goodwill and reimburse those slapped with fines.

He argues that confusing public health messaging from the former Palaszczuk government contributed to the breaches.

“It’s interesting a lot of literature and studies are coming back about how the pandemic was handled, a lot of red flags saying things could have been done better,” Dametto told the Courier Mail.

Katter Australia MP Party Nick Dametto is leading the charge. Picture: NCA NewsWire

“There were thousands of fines handed out across Queensland and if the government wants to start righting some of the wrongs of that period – where the government was in control – a good place to start may be reimbursing some of those fines.”

He further criticised the communication around restrictions:

“The premier would make her address about 10am, and it would take hours for departments to catch up with what was said during press conferences … it added intense confusion,” Dametto added.

There is $3.2 million outstanding from over 2,000 fines issued during the pandemic. Picture: NCA NewsWire

However, the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) claims it’s a government decision, while Treasurer David Janetzki remains tight-lipped on the matter.

During the pandemic, Queenslanders faced hefty on-the-spot fines of $1,378 for breaching public health orders, while businesses were slugged up to $7,100.

Offences ranged from border breaches and illegal gatherings to failing to wear masks.

In NSW, more than 23,500 penalty notices remained unpaid when the government recently announced its outstanding invoices would be withdrawn.

This resulted in the withdrawal of some 36,000 penalty notices totalling $15 million in 2022. The state also committed to refunding approximately $5.5 million to those who had already paid their fines. This sets a precedent that Queenslanders may now point to in their own fight for amnesty.

Originally published as One Aussie state could abolish $3.2 million in unpaid Covid fines