Victoria’s top earning speed cameras: Rosanna Road and Darebin Street Heidelberg

Despite repeated lockdowns, revenue from speed and red light cameras has soared. Here’s where you’re most likely to get snapped.

The speed cameras at the intersection of Warrigal and Batesford roads is one of the state’s top earners. Picture: Paul Loughnan

The state’s most lucrative speed cameras have netted more than $35 million in fines, despite two years of Covid lockdowns.

Speed and red-light camera offences have soared in Victoria, with the highest earning cameras in Heidelberg netting more than $11 million alone.

The cameras at the intersection of Rosanna Rd and Darebin St caught the most drivers in the 2020/21 financial year, with 53,739 infringements issued to motorists travelling northbound in lanes in 1, 2 and 3.

This was followed by the cameras at the intersection of Terminal Drive and Centre Rd, Melbourne Airport, (24,332 infringements), the cameras at the intersection of Warrigal Road and Batesford Rd, Chadstone, (22,728 infringements) and the cameras at the intersection of Fitzroy St and Lakeside Drive, St Kilda (16,433 infringements).

According to the state government’s Cameras Save Lives website, there was a 12.9 per cent increase in total infringement volumes for speeding and red-light offences from 2019-20 to 2020-21.

Despite Melbourne being the world’s most locked down city, total infringements for speeding and red-light offences grew from 1,077,586 in the 2019/20 financial year, to 1,216,979 in the 2020/21 financial year.

The speed cameras at the corner of Batesford and Warrigal roads are among the state’s top earners. Picture: Paul Loughnan

A Department of Justice and Community Safety spokesperson said the combination of increased enforcement efforts and more people travelling on our roads following the easing of lockdowns last year had led to an increase in the number of people caught breaking the law, resulting in an increase in infringements detected in 2021.

In response to a spike in the road toll in 2019, the state government delivered a 75 per cent increase in mobile road safety camera hours across the state, significantly increasing the ability to enforce speeding on the roads and contributing to an increase in infringements detected.

CarExpert.com.au managing editor Paul Maric said as the state came out of lockdowns, people had been far more impatient on the roads.

“You have a mixture of people who were driving on the roads unimpeded such as tradies … now being joined by average joes who are perhaps not that confident behind the wheel,” Mr Maric said.

“And I think what we’re seeing is an increased rate of speeding.

“We’re also seeing that the government is now rolling out more speed cameras.

“They have new devices that are able to catch people speeding in ways they weren’t able to previously.

“This is simply all adding into how much money they can earn from drivers on our roads.

“The people who are doing the right thing obviously have nothing to worry about but there are now more chances to get caught speeding than there have ever been in the past.”

The state government introduced new mobile road safety cameras in 2019, which can enforce over six lanes of traffic in either direction and can detect multiple vehicles simultaneously.

Mr Maric said some of the top earning cameras were in residential areas, and were often triggered by 40km/h speed zones.

“Often the 40km/zone is the thing that contributes the most (to people going over the speed limit).”

Mr Maric said he believed the use of speed cameras was becoming less about road safety.

“As someone who takes road safety quite seriously I really think we need to have a proper look again at the speed camera situation,” he said.

“I don’t think they’re really helping to reduce that road toll anymore.

“It really is just a case of them helping governments with money as opposed to making us better drivers."

But the Department of Justice and Community Safety spokesperson said road safety cameras were proven to be one of the most effective ways to save lives and get motorists to slow down.

“The facts speak for themselves – there is on average a 47 per cent reduction in crashes resulting in death or injury at intersections where a camera is installed,” the spokesperson said.  

TOP 10 ROAD SAFETY CAMERAS FOR INFRINGEMENTS ISSUED 2020/2021

1. At the intersection of Rosanna Road and Darebin Street, Heidelberg (N) – Lane 1, 2, 3 53,739 infringements.

Total fine revenue (based on the lowest possible fine of $207): $11, 123, 973

2. At the intersection of Terminal Drive and Centre Road, Melbourne Airport – Lane 2, 3, 4, 24,332 infringements.

Total fine revenue: $5, 036, 724

3. At the intersection of Warrigal Road and Batesford Road, Chadstone – Lane 1, 2, 3

22,728 infringements

Total fine revenue: $4,704, 696

4. At the intersection of Fitzroy Street and Lakeside Drive, St Kilda – Lane 1, 2, 3

16,433 infringements

Total fine revenue: $3, 401, 631

5. At the intersection of North Road and Clayton Road, Oakleigh East – Lane 1, 2, 3

10,345 infringements

Total fine revenue: $2, 141, 415

6. Western Ring Road, approximately 1600 metres West of Sydney Road, Broadmeadows – Lane 4

9,390 infringements

Total fine revenue: 1, 943, 730

7. At the intersection of Geelong Road and Droop Street, Footscray – Lane 1, 2, 3, 4

9303 infringements

Total fine revenue: 1, 925, 721

8. EastLink, Rowville, Southbound, Wellington Road Bridge – Lane 3

8068 infringements

Total fine revenue: $1, 670, 076

9. At the intersection of Rosanna Road and Banyule Road, Rosanna – Lane 1, 2

7983 infringements

Total fine revenue: $1, 652, 481

10. At the intersection of Rosanna Road and Darebin Street, Heidelberg(S) – Lane 1, 2,

7904 infringements

$1, 636, 128

*fine totals based on the smallest fine amount of $207 for exceeding speed limit by less than 10 km/h