Queensland to Increase Fines by 3.5% Annually!!!!!!

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The government has introduced legislation to increase fines annually as well as give the Treasurer the power to determine by how much, for most state laws and local governments.

Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie said penalty unit rates had only been increased twice since 2000 – once in 2009 when it increased from $75 to $100 and again last year when it was increased by a further $10.

A fine may be one or more penalty units.

Under the Penalties and Sentences Amendment Bill, the government will be able to increase the cost of fines by 3.5 per cent per year, or another rate determined by the Treasurer.
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The bill does not include any criteria for the Treasurer to follow when determining a percentage change, only that it must be gazetted by March 31.

Under the legislation, if the Treasurer does not determine a different rate, then the 3.5 per cent increase will stand.

The Queensland Law Society, as well as the Local Government Association, were consulted while the government drafted the law.

The QLS had concerns the increase would have a "substantial impact" on the penalty for offences which attract a high number of penalty units and asked for the legislation to be amended to "require the Attorney-General to consider the appropriateness of the value of a penalty unity on an ongoing basis".

The government did not accept this suggestion, because it intends to index the increase annually.

Workplace health and safety penalties will be exempt from the penalty increase, as will a handful of councils, including 11 Aboriginal Shire Councils and the Gold Coast City Council, as they operate on a different penalty rate scale.

The legislation has been referred to a parliamentary committee for review, but is expected to be passed early next year, when parliament resumes in February.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/quee...#ixzz2lC37OFSB