Victorians rack up $27m in COVID-19 fines, but many left unpaid
Victorians flouting coronavirus restrictions have been slapped with more than 19,000 fines valued at $27.88m but only a fraction have been paid. See some of the crazy excuses dished up to police.
Police & Courts
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A man who told police he was dropping his girlfriend at home, but begged them not to tell his wife and a woman who drove 75km for a kebab are among Victorians who have been slapped with $28m in fines for coronavirus breaches — but only 4 per cent of the penalties have been paid.
A Werribee man copped a hefty bill when he travelled more than 30km for butter chicken, while another man, who was slapped with more than 12 fines, told police he was going to buy drugs.
Now, figures released by the state government show 19,324 fines valued at $27.88m were dished out to rule breakers up until August 24.
Only 845 fines — about $1.45m — have been fully paid and 18 per cent have reached the “final demand” stage after which recipients risk having property seized or even being sent to jail.
Critics have slammed Victoria’s enforcement response as the most oppressive regimen in the country.
Economist Saul Eslake said: “If all this heavy-handed, authoritarian revenue raising had produced better epidemiological results, the end might have justified the means, but clearly it hasn’t.
A Herald Sun analysis found Victorians have received almost four times the number of fines of people in the other states and territories combined (excluding Western Australia) since the pandemic began.
Victoria is the only state to suffer through a second wave, and is the enforcement capital, having dished out $2.2m more in fines than the rest of the country combined during the first wave, Mr Eslake says.
The cost of breaches are far greater in Victoria, where individual infringements range from $1652 to $4957 compared with NSW, South Australia and the ACT where individuals face $1000 fines.
Businesses in those states face fines of $5000 for breaches, compared with Victorian businesses, which are hit with fines of $9913.
Chief Commissioner Shane Patton often warned that police were using little discretion when issuing fines.
Mr Eslake said the sum of fines issued in Victoria was “mind boggling” and that first-time or minor offenders should be shown mercy.
“Police could have chosen to express caution for more minor or inadvertent breaches. But they have been boasting about it (issuing fines) and it hasn’t worked,” he said.
A total of 1489 fines have been withdrawn or cancelled, and hardship arrangements are in place for 1638 fines.
People who receive a fine in Victoria are given 28 days to pay before receiving a penalty reminder notice with a further 21-day payment deadline.
Unpaid fines are given to Fines Victoria, which issues a final demand to pay within 21 days before undertaking action such as vehicle wheel clamping, suspending vehicle registrations, seizing personal property and even sending people to prison.
Victoria Police was invited to comment.
STUPID EXCUSES GIVEN TO POLICE
1. Sixteen partygoers fined $26,000 after a massive KFC order led them to a party in Dandenong
2. Learner driver fined while practising in the car with her mother in Frankston
3. Woman fined after claiming she was smoking when a bird swooped her friend’s hamburger and she hadn’t remembered to put her mask back on
4. Man fined for travelling more than 30km from his Werribee home for a specific type of butter chicken
5. A wannabe DJ fined for travelling to a mate’s house to practise on the decks
6. Man fined for breaching curfew to feed his uncle’s horses
7. Man fined for leaving home because his housemate and partner were being “too loud in the bedroom”
8. Man fined for travelling 100km to Ballarat for “fresh air”
9. Two women fined when they were caught out walking and eating ice-cream at 2am. They told police they thought it was 6am – or after curfew.
10. Man fined for telling police he wasn’t wearing a mask because of a pimple on his chin
11. Maskless man fined for saying he didn’t need a face covering because he was immune to COVID-19
12. Man fined more than 12 times told police during one intercept he was going to buy drugs
13. Man fined for cycling in South Melbourne after curfew. He told police said he was going to visit his “semi-intimate partner”.
14. Man fined for driving erratically in Brimbank. He told police he was more than 5km from home because he needed to buy a tank for his frog
15. Vloggers fined wen they filmed themselves breaching curfew on a McDonalds run
16. Man fined after claiming he couldn’t find a petrol station within 5km of his home fined for driving almost 50km to fill up.
17. Man fined for driving more than 50km to buy cigarettes
18 Geelong woman fined for driving 75km to Werribee for a kebab
19. Four people fined at a Glen Waverely brothel operating illegally the lockdown
20. Man issued with six fines told police he was dropping his girlfriend at home and asked them not to tell his wife
BUSINESSES IN REGIONAL VICTORIA FACING $10,000 FINES