MOTORISTS on Hunter roads are forking out a whopping $10,000 a day in speeding fines issued by speed cameras, generating a hefty $4 million a year for the state government.
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A Fairfax Media analysis of the latest Office of State Revenue data reveals that this financial year, motorists have already paid more than $300,000 in speeding tickets per month.
With four months still to go before the end of the financial year, the figure puts it on track to come close to the $4.38 million sum paid by motorists in 2014/15.
The sting has ignited a fresh round of the revenue-raising versus safety debate, with a veteran Newcastle driving instructor claiming the speed cameras are counter-productive and “do more harm than good”.
“It’s outrageous,” Newcastle Driving School owner Phil Burns said of the windfall.
“In many cases, these cameras are actually causing accidents – they force people to slow down suddenly and you get rear-end collisions.
“Often it’s non-locals who don’t know where the cameras are that panic and hit the brake.”
The biggest cash cow on Hunter roads is the Gateshead camera on the Pacific Highway, situated in a school zone. It is a consistent performer for the state government and last financial year generated about $925,000 off 4180 fines.
The speed camera on the New England Highway at Lochinvar generated $299.815. Other big hitters include the red light speed cameras on the Pacific Highway at Mayfield West ($509,537), Griffiths Road at Lambton ($468,161) and the Pacific Highway at Hamilton East ($446,871).
While there isn’t significant growth in the amounts generated by fixed speed cameras, the NRMA believes the roll-out and subsequent expansion of mobile speed cameras has spoiled recent motorist victories.
Roads Minister Duncan Gay hit back at claims of revenue-raising and said road deaths at fixed speed cameras had dropped by more than 90 per cent.
Mr Gay pointed out the Gateshead speed camera – the biggest revenue source in the Hunter – as producing a 60 per cent reduction in injuries.
He said the number of tickets issued by mobile speed cameras was reducing and claimed motorists were finally “getting the message”.
“We don’t want your money – we want to save lives,” he said in a statement.
