‘Extraordinary’: Where the most COVID-19 fines were doled out

Living in a local government area of concern at the height of lockdown didn’t just mean a ban from the beach and a higher chance of catching COVID-19 - residents of those 12 council areas were also more likely to be fined for breaching the public health order.

New data released by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research shows that 37.2 per cent of enforcement of Operation Stay at Home across July and August took place in the local government areas the government had deemed “of concern” - largely in Sydney’s west and south-west.

NSW Police enforcing the public health order in August. Credit: Renee Nowytarger

NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research director Dr Jackie Fitzgerald stressed that the COVID-19 breaches were relative to the rates of infection in the LGAs of concern.

These suburbs had 78 per cent of the COVID-19 cases and 37 per cent of the breaches.

Other local government areas across Sydney saw 23.2 per cent of breaches, while LGAs outside Sydney saw 29.1 per cent of breach notices issued and the City of Sydney LGA was the site of 10.2 per cent of breaches.

NSW Mounted Police patrol the streets of Fairfield during the lockdown. Credit: Kate Geraghty

These figures do not include the fines resulting from the anti-lockdown protests, which totalled 9.3 per cent of all COVID-19 breaches.

NSW Police issued an “extraordinary” 36,597 COVID-19 public health order breaches in July and August 2021.

“It went from a really low number, prior to July, we were looking at a few hundred [fines] a month. Then it just accelerated incredibly, which was perfectly understandable given the health crisis and the volume of restrictions,” Dr Fitzgerald said.

Half of those fined had a prior conviction in the past five years.

“It surprised us that it was as high as that,” she said.“It could be that they were more visible to police or more likely to be transgressive and not adhere to the public health orders.”

Analysis of data from July found that 5.8 per cent of breaches of the ministerial directions involved the buying or selling of drugs.

Young adults aged 18-29 comprised 38.5 per cent of those fined, followed by people in their 30s (22.9 per cent), 40s(16.8 per cent) and people over 50 (12.8 per cent).

Eight per cent of breaches were committed by children aged 10-17.

Men were the recipients of three-quarters of the fines as they were far more likely than women to breach the public health order.

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