A Melbourne man has slammed the Victorian Government after he was forced to pay a $10,000 fine or face being arrested for allegedly breaching a COVID-19 lockdown rule.
Kyle Hunt, who is the CEO of healthcare consulting firm HCPA, said sheriffs from Fines Victoria walked into his workplace last week with a warrant for his arrest unless he paid the fine.
Mr Hunt told the Daily Mail he had failed to pay a penalty linked to breaching the 5km rule imposed during one of Melbourne’s COVID-19 lockdowns.
‘I went slightly outside the five kilometre radius on a motorcycle ride. I was stopped by police at the time, had a chat with them, and they actually said I wasn’t doing anything bad and let me continue riding,’ Mr Hunt said.
‘I was issued a fine, but the interaction itself was very relaxed.’
Mr Hunt said he wasn’t ‘really given a choice’ but to pay the fine, as he joked, ‘I don’t think a motorcycle ride deserves prison!’
‘It’s not every day sheriffs walk into your workplace over something that happened years ago. It definitely wasn’t on the agenda for the day, but I cooperated, just confused as to why this was still a thing,’ he said.
‘But everyone’s saying the Covid fines have been taken back so I’m unsure as to if it still should even be a thing.’
Kyle Hunt was visited by sheriffs with a $10,000 fine for breaching a Covid-19 rule
Mr Hunt said he ‘went slightly outside the five kilometre radius on a motorcycle ride’
It’s understood sheriffs from Fines Victoria could have arrested him unless he paid the fine
He shared the moment the sheriffs ‘rocked up’ to his office in a video clip that has since gone viral.
It’s understood Mr Hunt was originally fined $5,000 for breaching the 5km rule; however, late fees and interest have ballooned the final cost to just under $10,000.
The post has garnered hundreds of comments, with many people blasting the state government as ‘a joke’ and accusing it of wanting to ‘revenue raise’ off the back of people with money.
‘This is revenue raising because they know you have money. This government is a joke,’ one person said.
Another added: ‘Five years on… you gotta be kidding me.’
Another said: ‘Omg I thought these were all retracted? This is crazy. Why doesn’t our government focus on the high crime rate instead of trying to fine and catch innocent people?’
Others were also left questioning whether the fines were actually still enforceable after much was reported of NSW’s decision to withdraw and repay more than 23,000 fines issued during the pandemic.
The Queensland Government has also written off up to $4 million worth of Covid-19 fines.
The sheriffs stopped for a picture with Mr Hunt after he was served the fine
Police questioning drivers during a suburban roadblock site in Melbourne in July 2020
Unluckily for Mr Hunt, his offence was committed in Victoria, where those fines are still enforceable.
According to Victoria’s Legal Aid website, the state government ‘made pandemic orders to help manage the coronavirus pandemic.’
‘Those pandemic orders had to be followed, the same as laws.
‘Do not ignore your fine. If you ignore your fine, you may have to pay more money. If you keep ignoring fines, there can be other serious consequences.’
Mr Hunt said it was fair that a lot of people are confused over the enforcement action, after Aussies in other states were able to have their fines waived and even reimbursed.
‘The rules changed constantly during lockdowns, enforcement varied, and years later people are still being chased for things that happened in a very stressful and uncertain time,’ he said.
‘It feels a bit disconnected from where we’re at now.
‘If other states are waiving Covid fines, I think it’s reasonable for Victoria to at least have the conversation. I imagine a lot of people would welcome clarity, especially those who did the right thing and paid because they thought they had to.’
Victorian authorities continue to chase down almost 20,000 unpaid Covid fines, totalling up to $30 million.
The Daily Mail has contacted Fines Victoria for comment.
