Call to ditch $3.2m in Qld Covid-19 fines
The government will consider waiving $3.2m worth of outstanding Covid fines, Acting Premier Jarrod Bleijie has revealed.
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The government will consider waiving $3.2m worth of outstanding Covid fines, Acting Premier Jarrod Bleijie has revealed.
It follows calls from Katter’s Australian Party MP Nick Dametto for the government to waive the remaining 2075 Covid-19-related infringements, which are still being prosecuted by debt collectors the State Penalties Enforcement Registry three years on from the pandemic.
Mr Dametto also demanded the state refund anyone who paid a fine.
Mr Bleijie on Monday said the government was considering “all options”.
Asked whether that included refunding paid or partially paid Covid fines, Mr Bleijie said he would seek more information on what had been implemented in New South Wales.
“I’ve asked for more information on that, briefing options going forward, to consider the options for where we go with that,” he said.
Katter’s Australian Party MP Nick Dametto on Sunday said it was time the government waived the debt in a show of good faith to the state.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Mr Dametto said public health messaging during the pandemic was “as muddy as it could be”.
“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,” he said.
The New South Wales Commissioner of Fines Administration in November 2024 revealed the NSW government would withdraw all remaining 23,539 Covid-19 penalty notices after receiving “legal representations”.
Some $5.5m would also be refunded to people who made full or partial payment of a Covid-19 fine.
New South Wales withdrew an additional 36,000 penalty notices in 2022.
A spokesman for the State Penalties Enforcement Registry on Sunday said it was unable to withdraw the fines and said it was a matter for the government.
“Queensland state and local government agencies and the courts are responsible for issuing and withdrawing fines and for ensuring the validity of infringement notices,” he said.
In 2020 anyone breaching a Public Health Direction - including by breaching border restrictions, travel bans, holding a large gathering or failing to wear a mask - faced an on the spot fine of $1378, while businesses faced fines of up to $7100.
Originally published as Call to ditch $3.2m in Qld Covid-19 fines
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