News and Events

The validity of COVID-19 fines issued across NSW will be called into question in a court case that has the potential to invalidate millions of dollars worth of penalty notices issued during the state’s lockdowns.

Three out of four COVID-19 fines are overdue, with more than 46,000 NSW residents owing $42 million between them.

New South Wales residents owe $1 billion to the state government because of unpaid fines, with more than 380,000 individuals having unpaid enforceable debt with Revenue NSW.

Almost 3,000 COVID-19 fines totalling just over $2.1 million dollars have been issued to children aged 10-17 years since 1 July last year, data obtained by Redfern Legal Centre reveals.

A coalition of 33 legal organisations including RLC have signed an open letter, calling on NSW finance minister Damien Tudehope to introduce a four-month pause on enforcement action on COVID fines, to support people already experiencing vulnerabiliy.

More than 7000 people have applied to Revenue NSW to overturn a COVID-19 fine but only one in 10 appeals were successful, a new freedom of information request obtained by RLC has revealed. 

Western Sydney is technically in recession and will struggle to recover from the recent lockdowns, new data suggests. Samantha Lee says over-policing and tough LGA restrictions have contributed to layers of inequality.

The latest statistics from Revenue NSW reveal that in July and August more than 28,000 COVID fines were issued, whihc is 13 times the number of fines issued during the whole of last year.

The massive NSW Police enforcement effort that kicked off on August 16 has resulted in nearly 22,000 fines for breaches of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Caitlin Fitzsimmons reports for Sydney Morning Herald

Sydney’s Redfern Legal Centre has called on the NSW government to revoke COVID-19 fines that it says have been issued incorrectly to people undertaking lawful recreation. Stephen Clark reports for National Indigenous Radio Service (NIRS)