Speed Cameras in QLD to be outsourced

[grandpa_spec_F6]

Remeber kids, speed cameras save lives....

OUTSOURCING the role of running speed cameras could be the first step in farming out other police roles to the public, the president of a leading civil liberties organisation has warned.

The Courier-Mail revealed extra speed cameras would be rolled out across Queensland and operated by civilians instead of police in State Government changes aimed at cutting costs and boosting revenue.

Speaking to ABC News this morning, Australian Council for Civil Liberties president Terry O’Gorman said the step could just be the beginning for Queensland.

“It will be the first step in outsourcing other police services,” he said.
He argued the legitimacy of speed cameras would be lost if a civilian was in charge.

“Running speed cameras require a high degree of training and public credibility if they are to be accepted as road safety devices rather than revenue raisers,” Mr O’Gorman said.

He said the decision would give more weight to the argument speed cameras were simply revenue raisers.

“Police are much better trained,” he said.

“The reality is police have built up expertise in this area and that expertise is going to be lost.”

Queensland is the only state where police man mobile speed cameras, a role which is usually outside of their rostered hours.
Earlier, The Courier-Mail revealed the State Government is considering outsourcing speed cameras to private operators, replacing police operators with civilian public servants, or shifting the function entirely to another department.

Any change would have to deliver a significant cost-benefit, with the Government seeking to increase its revenue from speed cameras by $28 million in the next year, to $81 million.

It currently costs almost $50 million to operate the cameras, which includes millions of dollars in overtime payments for police to staff the vans.
Police Minister Jack Dempsey's spokesman confirmed several options were being examined as part of the joint Transport and Main Roads review.
Queensland is the only state where police man mobile speed cameras, usually outside of their rostered hours.

The previous Labor government moved to install civilians in speed camera vans as part of a police enterprise agreement in 2010.
But Queensland Police would not agree, insisting the frontline would not be bolstered because the cameras were operated in officers' overtime.
President Ian Leavers said the union had not been consulted about the latest review.

"The LNP Government knows they would be told by police that this is simply a crazy idea that will cause more road deaths due to incorrect compliance," Mr Leavers said.

"The fig leaf of integrity that is left on the LNP Government's speed camera program would be ripped off once and for all."
He suggested any changes to the operation of speed cameras would increase public cynicism.

"If this plan of privatising and civilianising speed cameras comes to pass, the public will then know once and for all, the LNP Government doesn't care about road safety, just filling their empty coffers and the coffers of the few lucky private contractors who've been lobbying the Government for these contracts," Mr Leavers said.

In NSW, the department of Roads and Maritime Services manages speed cameras; in Victoria UK-owned company Serco does it, and in South Australia and WA, public servants man the vans.
Victoria collects nearly $500 million a year in fines from hundreds of mobile cameras and 175 fixed cameras.

But the process has not been without its problems, with contractor Serco facing a significant compensation bill after hundreds of motorists were wrongly billed.

Queensland police will begin negotiations for a new enterprise agreement next year.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/q...-1226504919166

[Nic85]

The whole thing is a complete farce. Private contractors taking money off private citizens at the hand of the government. Does it get any more obvious?

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by Nic85

The whole thing is a complete farce. Private contractors taking money off private citizens at the hand of the government. Does it get any more obvious?

umm actually no... private contractors cant hand you a speeding fine.
The photos will still need to be processed by the QPS.

The idea is disgusting anyways.... pretty soon everything will be "outsourced" to private companies.

[xisled]

This has been happening in Victoria for many years. When you get caught by a camera the police issue you the fine. It is just the cars with the cameras in them that are through private companies.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Yep subcontractors... Perhaps the QLD police will give up sitting on the side of the road charging $90 a hour at every bit of roadworks! They wont give that up!

[Mr Hardware]

just so long as they keep using big new volkswagen vans and don't suddenly start using 90's commodores, people would be braking every kilometre on the bruce

[flappist]

It is interesting that the QLD Government is actually stating that they wish to make roads less safe by ensuring that people speed for the purposes of revinue.

I wonder if that is making the speed cameras a form of tax or excise?

[DJM83]

Wonder what the sales pitch was to the contractor re profits... the bit in bold in the first post sums that up really, not one word about road safety in there either. Priorities....

[Smoke Pursuit]

Id be happy if the government put all the money raised back into the roads, in particular making them safer... Perhaps they could come out and commit the extra revenue saved by using private contractors to road safety. Theres so many roads I travel on weekly that are poorly surfaced / falling away, roads that are hard to keep proper control on.

[zdcol71]

Originally Posted by flappist

It is interesting that the QLD Government is actually stating that they wish to make roads less safe by ensuring that people speed for the purposes of revinue.

I wonder if that is making the speed cameras a form of tax or excise?

Not quite sure the" Qld. Gov" has actually stated this, but happy to be shown where.
Ian Lavers said something that resembles a paraphrasing of this,but if we are thinking that the mouthpiece for the Qld. police union is purporting widely held opinions of the government, police service ,or indeed the general populace of Qld, then let's all revisit the 1970's

[StealthAu]

This is not a good thing.
If outsourced then those companies who are providing the sevice expect a profit. If speeding is reduce, so are their profits and don't think that this will be accepted, it would mean either higher fines or reduced speed limits.

Outsourcing things like this, prisons and such, real problems come from this.

[Blue Roo]

This proves that the State Goverment is only interested REVENUE RAISING with Speed Cameras, and NOT interested in THE SO CALLED " ROAD SAFETY".

[superfly]

Not good, when it happens you'll probably get a ticket for doing 63 in a 60 zone. Just like in Vic.

[2011G6E]

Any change would have to deliver a significant cost-benefit, with the Government seeking to increase its revenue from speed cameras by $28 million in the next year, to $81 million.

Anyone with half a brain would read that and immediately come to the conclusion that the only way you can "increase the revenue" from speed cameras is to do one of a couple of things...reduce the tolerance down to 1 or 2kph over the limit, or start booking people who aren't really doing anything wrong, just trusting in the vast majority just shrugging and paying the fine.

There is also the fact that a government should actually be pleased when revenue from speed cameras drop, as that would be an obvious sign that they are working as they are claimed to do, and less people are speeding, right?

...right...?

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Anyone with half a brain would read that and immediately come to the conclusion that the only way you can "increase the revenue" from speed cameras is to do one of a couple of things...reduce the tolerance down to 1 or 2kph over the limit, or start booking people who aren't really doing anything wrong, just trusting in the vast majority just shrugging and paying the fine.

There is also the fact that a government should actually be pleased when revenue from speed cameras drop, as that would be an obvious sign that they are working as they are claimed to do, and less people are speeding, right?

...right...?

The new governemnt wouldnt do that... not in a million years... no never.... cause the other side who was in power was worse, so these guys MUST be better?

[grandpa_spec_F6]

Trick question, they're both lying, cheating, election promise breaking scumbags

[flappist]

Originally Posted by zdcol71

Not quite sure the" Qld. Gov" has actually stated this, but happy to be shown where.
Ian Lavers said something that resembles a paraphrasing of this,but if we are thinking that the mouthpiece for the Qld. police union is purporting widely held opinions of the government, police service ,or indeed the general populace of Qld, then let's all revisit the 1970's

Ah yes that is a very valid point. Ian Leavers has shown himself to be VERY "previous administration" in his views and agenda.

[noosacuda]

But $peed Camera$ $ave Live$.........

[zilo]

It's the start of the rot if its privatized.

there will be targets to be met and the thresholds will come down and down and ...down.

soon it will be 2k's over the limit like Vic.

[Bucknaked]

Boost, boost, boost and boost that Revenue.

I think there's no denying that speed camera are a huge cash cow and governments factor in and rely on the revenue generated. Just like they rely on the revenue from cigarettes, booze, fuel and now the super profits tax. When revenue is down they act to ensure more revenue is generated. Anyway possibile yet deny its about raising revenue. It's about our safety. I would love to see the reaction if we could get everyone for a month to not break the road rules and see the response. Would they thank us all for doing the right thing or introduce more taxes or levy's together in that missed revenue?

[Outbackjack]

I am seriously considering packing up my family and moving to the United States. The US is far from perfect but what is happening in Australia at the moment really is starting to scare me. (Just for your info my family do hold US residency).

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by Outbackjack

I am seriously considering packing up my family and moving to the United States. The US is far from perfect but what is happening in Australia at the moment really is starting to scare me. (Just for your info my family do hold US residency).

Canadia would do me nicely...I hear good things abooot their long distance rail freight network...

[flappist]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Canadia would do me nicely...I hear good things abooot their long distance rail freight network...

You might want to visit there first to see what it is all aboot eh.....

zdcol71 has a very important point, it was the ravings on a union zealot not the actual government.

[zdcol71]

Not sure either flappist, that I said it was the ravings of a union zealot,please don't misquote me, as you did some other source in your original post about the government wanting to make the roads less safe.
I read the article in the paper when the story broke, and no one has really added anything new to the tired old argument of revenue raising...hell the government has blatantly said exactly that,...they will raise more revenue, they will lower the tolerance , they will keep raping joe driver till the cows come home...what is everyone doing about it??? Banging up one liners about gov co , union zealots, revenue raising, and now, a comparison between here and the USof A??? Please...

[grandpa_spec_F6]

It's been said before and I'll say it again.

If they were ACTUALLY SERIOUS about ROAD SAFETY they would invest in EDUCATION not FINES.

[rancidpunx]

The whole idea is terrible, what happened to the line in the national anthem about being "Young and Free"?.
Im not a real fan of Michael Moore but this reminds me of his movie "Capitalism a Love Story" Basically a private Young Offenders Prison was paying off a few Judges to lock up youngsters (for next to nothing) as the prison can make a profit for their service of holding the young inmates.

Would this new company technically be a bunch of vigilantes? Is that even legal?

[grandpa_spec_F6]

We are young and free... to do whatever the government tells us to...

[GasoLane]

If it's anything like the ones we have in NSW Qld motorists are set to help make the Macquarie Bank oodles more money.

And for those who say they're only for road safety, from 2010....

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/new...-1225945819267

[blackf6]

I might seem like numpty saying this. But I don't like speed camera's any more than chopping off my own foot. But don't police already get paid peanuts and now ole Cambell Newman wants to cut their overtime? What's next, sack the police force?

[atec77]

Originally Posted by Nic85

The whole thing is a complete farce. Private contractors taking money off private citizens at the hand of the government. Does it get any more obvious?

You mean revenue raising offends you



finally ...
I generally am pleased that labor are gone from Qld but if this travesty occurs I will have to seriously think about bending Newmans ear about the mistake

it's a disgrace when local and state government budgets speeding fines into their gross