Last updated: December 28, 2014


National Breaking News

WA fine defaulters targeted with cameras

A car with a cardboard licence plate

High-tech number plate recognition cameras will be used to catch fine defaulters in W. A. Source: AAP

HIGH-TECH number plate recognition cameras will be used to catch fine defaulters in Western Australia who owe more than $2000 or owe any money to the courts.

Attorney-General Michael Mischin said the cameras, which would either be hand-held or mounted on a sheriff's vehicle, would target the state's worst fine defaulters, who owed a total of more than $279 million.

"Vehicles are most commonly clamped when they are parked at someone's home, however this can be quite limiting as people take their cars to work or go out during the day," he said.

"Also, the addresses for some hard-core fine and infringement defaulters are not always current, and sometimes those defaulters deliberately don't park their vehicles on their own property to avoid being clamped."

Mr Mischin said the sheriff would use the camera in busy areas during the day including shopping centres, train stations and the main streets of country towns.

Last August, new laws came into effect that allowed sheriff's officers to wheel-clamp vehicles, seize licence plates and other property, and name and shame fine defaulters.

Since then, 421 wheel clamps had been applied and 362 licence plates had been removed, Mr Mischin said.

More than $70.8 million had been recovered, up on the previous year's sum of $63.4 million, he said.

An SMS trial has also been launched in Ellenbrook and Albany where fine defaulters are contacted via text message to warn them that they could face wheel clamping, licence plate removal or have property seized if they did not pay their debt.

The state government has called a tender for the mobile licence plate recognition cameras, which closes on May 23.