New laws to streamline fines management and debt recovery

Fine collection and debt management will be streamlined to ensure millions of dollars owed to Queenslanders are recovered faster under new State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) laws introduced in Parliament today.

Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick said the State Penalties Enforcement (Modernisation) Amendment Bill 2022 was another way to make taxpayers’ dollars work harder for Queenslanders.

“Queensland taxpayers expect that if someone owes them money, it should be paid back – and that’s what these changes are all about,” the Treasurer said.

“We want people to pay what they owe, and to pay it as soon as possible after they incur a fine.

“Bringing fines management staff from the Department of Transport and Main Roads and Queensland Police Service into the SPER team within Queensland Revenue Office is an important efficiency measure already underway.

“This is expected to bring forward repayments of more than $20 million in its first year and simplify the payment process for debtors, giving people who owe money to SPER the best chance to pay their fine on time and avoid their debt escalating.

“It’s all about accelerating the collection of funds owed to Queenslanders so they can be used on road upgrades, hospitals and schools as well as critical road safety, healthcare and emergency services our community needs.”

The Treasurer said the new laws would help speed up the fine administration and the debt collection system across the Queensland Government. 

“The proposed changes in this legislation will enable unpaid fines to be referred to SPER within a shorter timeframe,” he said.

“When a fine isn’t paid by the due date, these new laws will help SPER commence their debt collection activities sooner.

“People who receive a fine will continue to be given the same amount of time to pay their original notice.”

For debtors who refuse to pay significant debts, the Treasurer said the legislation would also support the cost of SPER enforcement activities being recovered from the sale proceeds of seized property.

ENDS

Media contact: Geoff Breusch 0417 272 875