Almost $140m in fines written off by Queensland government

The Queensland government's debt collector, SPER, wrote off almost $140 million in unpaid fines during the previous financial year, according to reports. Over 460,000 debts were cancelled, but 2.7 million remained unpaid as of June 30. This significant reduction in written-off debts contrasts with the previous year, when SPER wrote off nearly 585,000.

The cancellation of these fines aligns with recent legislation proposed by the state parliament, which aims to increase penalties for dangerous drivers and other serious offenses, including doubling the fines for drink and drug-related offenses. SPER endeavors to recover outstanding fines through various methods, such as data enhancement and verification, even if the debtor has passed away, a company has been deregistered, or the debt is deemed unprofitable to collect.

However, debts related to crime victims are never written off. As of June 30, more than $1.3 billion in outstanding fines remained, with more than $250 million owing for over five years. The LNP government has implemented stricter penalties since assuming office in 2024, with a proposed minimum fine of $1,251 for first-time offenders who consume alcohol or drugs while driving.

A parliamentary committee is currently reviewing these proposed laws, set to report its findings to the government in the coming week before the legislation is debated in parliament.