Statement by Dick Gross

Today’s media coverage about Fines Victoria’s longstanding fine collection issues
confirms what Port Phillip Council has said for months.

Our Council is currently owed $21.8 million in unrecovered debt from outstanding fines,
which Fines Victoria is responsible for collecting, and this balance continues to increase
each month.

This huge sum includes an expected cash loss for this coming financial year of
approximately $1 million.

Our expectation is that we should be reimbursed for any losses caused to the Council by the system’s failure, which cannot be recouped.

Fines Victoria has started holding regular meetings with Council officers to provide
updates and is putting additional resources into resolving its systems problem.

Fines Victoria has also committed to pursuing old outstanding debts and is planning to
increase the presence of its sheriffs in Port Phillip.

While welcoming these actions, we remain extremely frustrated with the delay as, if this
money had been available to us, we would have spread it across a range of planned
services and projects to improve outcomes for our community.