Traffic offences for speeding 10 kilometres or less over the speed limit are by far the top reason why people are financially penalised in the western plains.

We can also reveal the number of people fined for speeding in our towns is growing.

NSW Revenue data obtained by the Western Plains App shows speeding less than 10km per hour was the common type of fine in Cobar, Narromine, Gilgandra, Nyngan, Coonamble, Bourke and Brewarrina across 2021-22 period.

In Coonamble, 209 fines were issued speeding for less than 10km per hour, more than three times the number for the second most common type of fine which was for a now-revoked COVID regulation breach. There were 645 fines issued for all fine types in Coonamble for the 2021-22 year worth almost $294,591.

In Cobar, 130 of the 635 fines issued were for speeding less than 10km an hour, the next most common type of fine was speeding more than 10km per hour - with 72 being issued. There were 635 fines totalling $232,328 in Cobar for the year.

When we looked at Gilgandra we found the two most common offences were less than 10km per hour speeding fines for cars, and at number two other types of vehicles speeding at less than 10km per hour.

Since 2017, Bourke and Brewarrina have had a quarter of their fine liability ($1,779,224 for Bourke and $1,452,209 for Brewarrina) caused by fines for speeding less than 10km an hour - and the number of fines of this type in these towns is growing at a sharp rate.

The data from Revenue NSW also indicates the number of fines for speeding under 10km per hour increased dramatically in region over the past five years.

In Nyngan where it is the most common fine, fines for driving 10km or less over the speed limit has almost doubled since 2017 levels.

Narromine and Gilgandra have also had sharp increase in that fine category over the past three years.

Fines across the state increased exponentially across all of NSW during the 2021-22 period after the authorities stopped warning motorists about speed cameras. 

In the last six months of 2020, there was an average of 1634 fines per month, while early in 2021 there was 27,000 fines handed out in just one month.

From 1 January, the State Government will re-fit all of their 143 mobile speed camera vehicles with two clear warning signs.

Speed camera signs are being re-instated across NSW.

Tara McCarthy deputy secretary of safety, environment and regulation at Transport for NSW has previously stated “Last year, speeding contributed to 41 per cent of the road toll, with the majority of those being on country roads”.

Walgett bucked the region-wide trend that year by having COVID-related fines top their fines list, while Lightning Ridge had the lowest per population fines of all fine types - there were a negligible number of speeding fines in the town and the most common type of fine was for driving an unregistered vehicle.