The Katter Party has demanded Minister Mark Bailey prove speed cameras are properly calibrated and operating correctly after Transport and Main Roads refused to wipe the fines issued by what locals insist are malfunctioning units.
On Thursday Traeger MP Robbie Katter and Hall MP Shane Knuth announced they are backing drivers in the region including at Malanda and Torrens Creek who insist a speed camera was not functioning correctly and issuing hundreds of incorrect infringement notices.
Mr Knuth said he understood hundreds of drivers across the north had been issued traffic infringement notices, with some residents having received multiple infringements and facing drivers licence suspensions and possible job loss.
Mr Knuth said when he questioned the validity of the fines recently, TMR issued a swift statement stating the device was functioning correctly, however the Member for Hill said that was not good enough.
"I want to see cold, hard evidence that the device was certified and tested for calibration at the time it was installed, every day it was at the location and immediately after removal," he said.
"The speed cameras need to be reviewed to ensure these devices are properly calibrated before, during and after they are deployed," he said.
Mr Katter said the area where all the fines accord was not a high crash area.
"This is not about saving lives, this is about raising revenue," he said.
"These are not about driving Porches on outback roads, these are hard-working people driving sometimes up to 100km to a medical appointment, or just trying to get their kids to school.
"These have been rolled out right throughout regional Queensland and the majority don't relate to speeding deaths at all. Instead, how about fixing our bloody dangerous roads."
It is understood Mr Knuth has received complaints from more than 260 people who between them have accumulated over 450 fines.
"One person who contacted my office today just received 10 fines, totalling over $10,000," he said.
"This is absolutely absurd and smells purely of revenue raising."
Mr Knuth said when he questioned the validity of the fines recently, TMR issued a swift statement stating the device was functioning correctly, however the Member for Hill said that was not good enough.
Mr Knuth said the length of time the device was stationed there, the pure volume of fines and the number of repeat fines raised some serious questions about the validity of the infringement notices.
"I have asked for the Minister to provide what specific speed related crashes have occurred in this 60 km/h zone in the past five years to justify placement of a speed camera device, who deployed the camera, what qualifications they had for deployment and evidence showing placement was valid and in accordance with Queensland Government policy and guidelines," he said.
According to the day's Parliamentary Hansard, Mr Bailey said he was "not aware of any inaccurate infringements being issued".
"However, given the member's representations, I am very happy to ask my acting director-general to look at the certification," he said.
"I am advised in relation to the Malanda to Atherton road that 94 per cent of vehicles passing the speed camera were not detected speeding.
"There were 342 offences of more than 20 kilometres an hour over the speed limit. There were actually eight offences where people were driving more than 40 kilometres an hour over the speed limit. Those eight offences mean that people would have been speeding in the 100 zone and not just the 60 zone.
"The highest speed recorded in the 60-kilometre-an-hour zone was 124 kilometres an hour.
"Transport and Main Roads and our agencies are very careful about the calibration and the certification of this technology because they know that at some point it can be challenged in a court of law."
Earlier a TMR spokesperson refuted the claims and said they had addressed this issue previously.
"TMR have reviewed the operation of all Transportable Road Safety Cameras and can confirm all camera devices are operating correctly," the spokesperson said.
"Infringements are issued by the Queensland Revenue Office".
Meanwhile, a Malanda resident who requested anonymity for fear of losing her job, said she has received eight fines in two weeks from a speed camera along the Malanda Atherton Rd.
"It was was a big shock," she said.,
"It's a really narrow road, it's busy with a curve, there's always lots of traffic and now I feel very worried.
"I'm a support worker with a lot of commuting. I could lose my license and my job, I am trying not to panic, but there's no public transport up here."
The woman said her auto-electrician told her most cruise controls on modern cars often don't hold to lower speeds, meaning if she set the vehicle to the 60 km speed she would still be in danger of being fined.
"I feel TMR is not working with us, they are working against us," she said.
"Meet us half way, even if we get a chance to keep our license and pay the fines off."
She said she hoped TMR used this instance "to do the right thing".
