By Belinda Nolan
MORE than 43,000 Brimbank residents have outstanding warrants for unpaid fines, Department of Justice figures show.
Statistics provided to Star by the department reveal a total of 43,422 residents are currently being pursued for a total of $263,415 in unpaid fines across the municipality.
The fines range from traffic and parking offences to failing to register a dog or cat.
The warrants are issued in a last-ditch attempt to collect on fines after repeated infringement notices and warnings.
The figures come following a renewed effort to clamp down on repeat offenders, including tough new measures to bring defaulters to task.
Sheriff’s officers are empowered to use a range of actions to target repeated fine defaulters including wheel clamping, registration suspension and, in extreme cases, seizure of property.
The startling figures, which affect almost a quarter of Brimbank’s population of 177,000, have prompted calls for additional free legal services to provide advice to residents struggling to pay their dues.
Community West legal centre executive officer Robyn Shilton said the statistics were not surprising.
“Thirty per cent of Brimbank residents have an income of $30,000 a year or less, so it’s obvious that many people just can’t afford to pay their fines,” Ms Shilton said.
“It’s terribly sad.”
Ms Shilton said the legal centre, which is one of the few free organisations servicing the Brimbank area, was inundated with more than 1000 clients each year and struggled to keep up with demand.
“Around three per cent of our service is taken up by people who come to us with credit and debt problems,” Ms Shilton said.
“The state average is 0.2 per cent so we’re 15 times the state average.”
Ms Shilton said the figures obtained by Star indicated that many Brimbank residents did not have an ability to pay fines.
Many also had difficulty understanding local laws and how to avoid infringements.
She called for more funding to expand free legal services in the municipality.
“There is a huge need for our services in Brimbank,” she said.
“It’s a high needs area and we need more free lawyers and more community education to help address this problem.”
But Justice Department spokeswoman Afsheen Latif said payment plans were available to those having difficulty paying their fines.
She said only serious fine defaulters were targeted by the warrants.
“Anyone with an outstanding fine can contact 1300 743 743 to make arrangements to pay their fines.”
Ms Shilton urged anyone experiencing difficulty paying fines to make Community West their first port of call.
The Brimbank/Melton office is located in St Albans and can be contacted on 9026 9600.
