Brimbank residents are some of the worst in the state when it comes to paying fines, with the Sheriffs office on the hunt for $65 million owed from outstanding warrants.
The $65,583,384 outstanding puts Brimbank as the ninth worst performing council in Victoria, still well behind Casey residents who owe more than twice as much ($137,127,232).
The warrants pertain to civil, criminal and corporate offences by 22,127 people, most of which are for traffic and parking offences. But the monies owed do not include debts to Brimbank council for unpaid local fines.
Victorian Sheriff Brendan Facey said the number of infringements in the state had dropped by 4.6 per cent last financial year, but the overall amount owed by Victorians was still concerning.
“Unfortunately, some people are still not getting the message that you cannot ignore your unpaid fines,” Mr Facey said. “We don’t want to see people’s matters escalating through the system. We want people to speak to us about their options before they are caught.”
Brimbank council is owed $1.8 million in unpaid fines, such as parking infringements, food safety and littering, a spokesman said, and while efforts are made to bridge the shortfall, the debt has only a minor impact on council funds.
“The amount of unpaid fines owed to council is regrettable, however it represents less than one per cent of council’s total income ($193,674,000 in 2015-16),” acting city development director Matt Aquilina said. “Council monitors all unpaid accounts and fines, as well as working with the Sheriff’s department to actively pursue unpaid fines.
He said people face financial difficulties due to a range of circumstances.
“For this reason, council provides payment options for unpaid accounts, including extending due dates for fines for those experiencing financial hardship,” he said. “Anyone who is having difficulties paying a fine … contact council to discuss payment options.”
