Fines

Pay your fine using eServices or other payment methods.

You may be eligible to pay your fine in instalments.

Submit an appeal before the due date on the notice using our online forms.

Things to know about making an appeal:

• An appeal can be made by yourself or by somebody acting on your behalf with your consent.
• An appeal must state the grounds on which you consider the decision should be reviewed.
• You must provide your current address and infringement number.
• To avoid additional costs and enforcement action being taken against you, a request for a review should be made prior to the due date listed on the infringement notice.
• On receiving an internal review application, the City of Ballarat must review its decision to issue the infringement within the prescribed timeframe of 90 days. The 90-day period begins with the application is received. A request for further information from the applicant will extend that period by a maximum of 35 days. If these timelines are not met by the City of Ballarat, the infringement notice will be deemed to have been withdrawn.

Exceptional circumstances

An unforeseen or unpreventable circumstance. Some examples are medical emergencies, an unavoidable or unforeseeable delay or vehicle breakdown.

Contrary to law

If you believe the infringement was unlawful or not valid.

Special circumstances

• a mental or intellectual disability, disorder, disease or illness
• a serious addiction to drugs, alcohol or volatile substance
• homelessness, or
• family violence within the meaning of the Family Violence Protection Act 2008, or
• long-term condition/circumstances making it impracticable to deal with the fine.

Special circumstances requirements:

A person must show that their condition or circumstances have contributed to them having a significantly reduced capacity to understand or control their offending behaviour, or that they make it impracticable for the person to pay the infringement penalty or otherwise deal with the infringement notice.

You must provide evidence (e.g. letter, report, statement) from one of the following parties to support your application.

• a case worker, case manager or social worker
• a general practitioner, psychiatrist or psychologist, or
• an accredited drug treatment agency.

Evidence should include:

• the practitioner/case worker’s qualification and relationship with you, including the period of engagement
• the nature, severity and duration of your condition or your circumstances
• whether you were suffering from the relevant condition or circumstances at the time the offence was committed, and
• whether, in the opinion of the practitioner/case worker, it is more likely than not that your condition/circumstances resulted in your inability to understand or control the conduct constituting the offence.

The practitioner or agency report must show that because of your condition/situation you could not understand or control constituting the offence.

Mistaken identity

A case of mistaken identity.  Examples of this can include:

• you are not the person named on the infringement notice
• you were not in the location at the time of the offence and therefore could not have committed the offence
• your identity may have been stolen

You would need to include evidence such as a copy of your driver's licence. Please note, this ground is not available in circumstances were the operator of a vehicle has been served with a traffic or parking infringement notice and you allege that someone else was in control of the vehicle. In these instances, a nomination statement should be lodged by contacting our Customer Experience team or using the provided section on a Penalty Reminder Notice.

Person unaware of fine

An application made on the grounds of ‘person unaware’ must:

1. be made within 14 days of you becoming aware of the infringement notice
   (you may evidence the date that you became aware of the infringement notice by executing a statutory declaration),
2. state the grounds on which the decision should be reviewed, and
3. provide your current address for service.

If you're unable to pay your fine on time, you may be able to apply for a payment extension.

Further information about the internal review process and the guidelines the City of Ballarat adheres to, can be found on the Fines Victoria website.

Please note, infringements that have already been lodged with Fines Victoria should be addressed by contacting Fines Victoria directly. You can do this by using the link above or by using the below details:

Phone: (03) 9200 8111 or 1300 369 819

Mail: Fines Victoria, GPO Box 1916, MELBOURNE   VIC   3001

If you're having trouble paying your fine, you may be able to apply to pay your fine in instalments.