We’re a fine lot mired in debt

TOWNSVILLE residents owe more than $48 million in fines and fees with roughly one in eight in debt to the State Government.

The State Penalty Enforcement Registry (SPER) collects unpaid fines from agencies including the Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland Police and the Queensland Courts.

A total of $48,485,000 was owed to SPER by people living in Townsville as of May 31. More than 148,000 fines issued to 21,178 locals were outstanding at that time. The average debt per person was $2327.

Northern Queensland Shadow Minister and the LNP’S Burdekin MP Dale Last blamed the State Government for the rise in SPER debts.

“In the six months to the end of last year over $190 million in fines was added to the SPER bill and only $165 million was collected,” he said.

“So in just six months there is another $25 million that Queenslanders are owed.”

Mr Last said the amount owed in Townsville was over half the cost of upgrading the Townsville Airport.

“There is vital infrastructure and services that need funding and meanwhile there is a black hole of debt owed by fine defaulters,” he said.

Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper said the State Government had the debt situation under control.

“There was new legislation introduced last year to change the way SPER operated to make it easier to recover debts, simpler for people to pay and fairer for people experiencing hardship,” he said.

“SPER is implementing the auditor general’s recommendations as part of its business transformation. Under the new business model, SPER would have enhanced abilities to identify and locate debtors and cases would be more proactively managed.”

Townsville’s SPER debt was spread across the suburbs with the most amount of fines owed in the 4814 postcode, which includes Aitkenvale, Garbutt, Mount Louisa, Heatley, Vincent, Annandale and Cranbrook.

Well-off suburbs such as Pallarenda, Belgian Gardens, North Ward and Rowes Bay in the 4810 postcode were next.

The third worst postcode was 4815, with more than 3000 residents in areas such as Condon, Gumlow, Rasmussen and Kelso owing a total $6,716,000.

A State Penalties Enforcement Registry spokesman said the biggest offence types in the North Queensland region were speeding and vehicle offences.

Anyone with a SPER debt should get in touch with the registry on 1300 365 635.