State Penalties Enforcement Amendment Bill 2017

Overview

This bill overhauls how Queensland collects unpaid fines through the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER). It creates Work and Development Orders so people in hardship can clear their fines through unpaid work, medical treatment, counselling or courses instead of paying cash, while giving SPER stronger tools against people who refuse to engage.

Who it affects

Anyone with unpaid Queensland fines is affected: people experiencing hardship get new non-monetary options and flexible payment plans, while those ignoring SPER face longer vehicle immobilisation, direct bank account garnishment and easier wage deductions.

Key changes

• Creates Work and Development Orders letting people in hardship clear fines through unpaid work, mental health or medical treatment, drug or alcohol treatment, counselling, life skills courses, or mentoring — supervised by approved community organisations
• Expands eligibility for non-monetary debt discharge to cover mental illness, cognitive or intellectual disability, homelessness, substance use disorder, and domestic and family violence (not just financial hardship)
• Replaces rigid per-debt arrangements with flexible case-managed payment plans, so new fines can be rolled into an existing plan
• Lets SPER order your bank to pay a lump sum directly from your account, subject to a minimum protected balance
• Extends the maximum period a vehicle can be immobilised from 5 days to 14 days before it is seized and sold
• Removes the requirement for SPER to verify a debtor's financial situation before garnishing wages
• Allows SPER to share penalty debt information with Queensland Police, interstate and federal law enforcement agencies for prescribed purposes
• Moves initial disputes about not receiving an infringement notice back to the issuing council or agency rather than SPER