THE QUEENSLAND STATE GOVERNMENT is going into the clamping business. It has announced that fine dodgers will have their cars’ wheels clamped - even in their own driveways - under a new 12-month trial.
Cracking down on the state’s worst fine defaulters, Attorney General Cameron Dick said that the Government would introduce new legislation which would allow authorities to lock wheel clamps to the vehicle of any debtor owing more than $5000 in fines.
The vehicles could then be sold off if the owner refused to settle the debt after six days.
The new laws would also allow authorities to suspend the drivers’ licence of motorists with any fine default, regardless of the amount owed.
“The Queensland Government is tightening its grip on money owed to the state by those individuals who have broken the law,” Mr Dick said.
Mr Dick said that specific details of the new legislation were still being fine-tuned, including the question of whether authorities should be allowed to enter private property to install the clamps.
“There are of course issues involved with going on people’s private property to clamp their vehicles,” Mr Dick told ABC News.
“But we are going to look at that, I’m not ruling it out, I must say that. That may be something that we need to do.”
Mr Dick said that offenders would be given “ample warning” and the option to arrive at a payment plan with the State Penalties Enforcement Registry before clamps would be applied to their vehicles.
The trial is set to begin on January 1 2010.
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I’ve seen this happening LOADS in Melbourne over the last year
If anyone comes into my property, under my house with a wheel clamp, then they better be prepared to meet my baseball bat..
Not only that, but I have the oxy tools to take any wheel clamp apart, and as its on my property, they better make these things damn cheap.
If people are escaping paying fines, there are other ways to get the revenue back. Why not hit these people up at tax time, or deduct one “drivers point” every month the fine is overdue - then the police can stalk these people when they drive out of their property, pull them over, and take em away (including impounding their car until the fine is paid).
It seems this sort of behaviour by the governement sees us slowly slipping into a Communist Republic….. Cannot do anything these days that doesnt incur a fine of some sort - and now the government thinks that your property is their property and this is just not on. I pay my rates thankyou very much, now get the fcuk out!
Oh, i forgot to mention that Mr Dick, is just being a Dick… :-p
haha i thought the exact same thing wardski, better make them cheap..
The defaulters will not have a licence or a car registered in their names most of the time any rate. Should be locked up until the fine is paid.
^^ what and let tax payers front the bill whilst they are in prison?
If you have $5000 worth of fines racked up you are obviously a bit of negligent driver and probably deserve to stay off the road. How many people would have over $5000 worth of fines anyway? In any case, a new wheel, tyre, and parking spot would be a lot cheaper than paying the fine back.