A man will now have to pay triple the money, after contesting a fine for driving in a restricted area on Bribie Island without the proper permit.
The Caboolture Magistrates Court has heard the man was captured entering the Bribie Island Recreation Area by Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras on September 11, 2021.
Subsequent checks by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service confirmed there was no Vehicle Access Permit assigned to the man nor his vehicle at the relevant time.
He was issued with a $206 Penalty Infringement Notice which he elected to contest.
However, the man failed to appear in court this week, and the matter proceeded in his absence.
A Department of Environment and Science spokesperson says the man was convicted of one offence of driving a motor vehicle in a recreation area without authority.
The Court imposed a $400 fine and ordered him to pay $250 in legal costs. No conviction was recorded.
“The Department of Environment and Science welcomes the fine handed down by the Court, and hopes it acts as a deterrent to other people who want to enter our recreation areas without a VAP,” a spokesperson says.