Apenalty unit (PU) is a standard amount of money used to compute penalties for many breaches of law in Australia at both the federal, and state and territory level.Fines are calculated by multiplying the value of a penalty unit by the number of units prescribed for the offence. For example, if a crime was committed in New South Wales worth 100 units, the fine would be100 × $110 = $11,000.
Prior to the introduction of penalty units, fines and other charges were usually prescribed in terms of ordinary money. However, the effects ofinflation meant that originally substantial penalties eventually lost their worth. Frequent amendment of the many laws and regulations dealing with pecuniary penalties would be a very time-consuming process. Penalty units provide a quick and simple way to adjust many different fees and charges.
The different jurisdictions that make up Australia each set their own value of a penalty unit. The value as well as the manner and frequency of adjusting that value differ between jurisdictions.
| Jurisdiction | Penalty unit value | Last updated | Automatic indexation mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | A$313.00[1] | 1July 2023 | Every three years on 1 July, based on the All GroupsConsumer Price Index, a weighted average of the CPI for all capital cities.[2] |
| Victoria | A$197.59[3] | 1 July 2024 | Annual on 1 July.[3] |
| New South Wales | A$110.00[4] | 8 December 1999 | None. As of 26 September 2019[update], the value remains unchanged from the originalCrimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999.[5] |
| Queensland | A$161.30[6] | 1 July 2024 | Annual on 1 July.[6] |
| Tasmania | A$202.00[7] | 1 July 2024 | Annual on 1 July, based on CPI.[7] |
| Northern Territory | A$185.00[8] | 1 July 2024 | Annual on 1 July, based on CPI forDarwin.[8] |
| Australian Capital Territory | A$160.00 (individual)[9] | 8 November 2018 | Every four years.[9] |
| A$810.00 (companies)[9] | |||
| Western Australia | Various | — | Penalty units are set for different categories of legislation.[10] Traffic offences generally incur a penalty unit ofA$50.[11] |
| South Australia | Not applicable | — | South Australia does not have a system of penalty units.[10] Instead, legislation either lists specific fine amounts or maximum "divisional penalties" which form astandard scale.[12][13] |