Tuesday 19 June 2007 - Estimates Committee B (Cox) - Part 2

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

ESTIMATES COMMITTEE B

Clarification of payment by cheques.

Mr FINCH - Of course. There was an issue that we discussed yesterday when we were talking about Service Tasmania. It was about some registration fees that were posted to the Transport Department but there was some confusion over not accepting the cheques. Could I just get some clarification of the situation from the Transport Department in respect of what went on there and has it been resolved?

Mr COX - Yes, it has been resolved. Those cheques were sent back, you are quite right. They were since returned and accepted, as they will in future be accepted. It is not a preferred method of payment. There is a belief that there are other ways of doing it, be it at the post office or whatever. We accept that there are some people who cannot manage that. Whilst the cheques are not preferred, as I say, they will be accepted.

Mr FINCH - Would the intention be to publicise that fact or maybe just keep it quiet and perhaps hope very few people will use that method?

Mr COX - I suspect the latter, because payments by mail now are seen to be decreasing. They now actually represent less than one per cent of registration and licensing fees. The department have seen less than one per cent as pretty small, so let's get rid of it, but that was not to be. It was a very small amount.