Almost 12,000 ‘invalid’ speeding fines can’t be refunded, but another 8300 unpaid ones voided

Months after a judge found the Territory’s speeding cameras weren’t properly calibrated, the NT’s police chief says 12,000 fines already paid won’t be refunded.

• Thousands of Darwin and Palmo speeding fines ‘unlawful’, court hears

NEARLY 12,000 fines issued using improperly-calibrated speeding cameras can’t be refunded, because the drivers “acknowledge” they committed an offence.

Northern Territory police commissioner Jamie Chalker said on Monday another 8300 fines which hadn’t been paid will be rendered void.

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It comes after Judge Tanya Fong Lim in March found that cameras erected on mobile speed vans across Darwin were not tested properly, rendering every fine from the machines invalid.

But Mr Chalker in Estimates said the fines already paid had no mechanism of being refunded, because there was no “review pathway”.

Mobile van speed cameras were incorrectly calibrated, according to a judge. Picture: File.

“For the period of time that was in place, we estimated there were approximately 20,000-odd fines issued and out of those, just under 12,000 have already been paid,” he said.

“There is no ability for us to recall those. By paying that fine, people acknowledge that they have committed a regulatory offence.”

When asked by Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro how much revenue was outstanding for the 8,300 yet-unpaid fines, Mr Chalker and Police Commissioner Nicole Manison were unable to immediately say and took the question on notice.

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