• Footscray, Yarraville, Braybrook Star

By Charlene Gatt

9th February 2010 11:05:23 AM

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THE State Government is waiving additional penalties for fine defaulters in a six-week bid to recoup millions of dollars in unpaid fines.

The waiver, which started last Tuesday and will run until 19 March, will remove any fees charged on top of unpaid fines in an incentive to get fine defaulters to pay up.

The waiver applies to all State-Government issued fines including those from Victoria Police, the Department of Transport and the Department of Primary Industries.

Eleven councils, including Brimbank, Moonee Valley, Melbourne, Yarra, Port Phillip, Kingston, Greater Shepparton, West Wimmera, Monash, Stonnington and Campaspe Shire, will also waive additional penalties on council fines.

Maribyrnong City Council did not respond to a Star query this week questioning why it hadn’t signed up to the waiver.

The State Government reaped over $50 million in unpaid fines during its first fee waiver in 2006.

“This fee waiver gives people the opportunity and incentive to act on their fines instead of simply hoping they will go away,” Attorney-General Rob Hulls said.

“This is not a free pass … when the waiver ends, the Sheriff’s office will launch a new enforcement blitz.

“Either way, you’re going to get caught if you don’t pay the fine.”

The Sheriff’s Office, which has recently taken on 22 more officers, will use wheel clamping, registration non-renewal and new Automated Number Plate Recognition technology during the blitz.

An enforcement operation at Highpoint Shopping centre late last year cleared over $500,000 in outstanding fees and fines from defaulters.

“It goes to show that this technology is working. People who think that they can get away without paying fines are kidding themselves,” Mr Hulls said.

Further information about paying fines is available at www.fines.vic.gov.au

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