A Darwin business owner is just one of 800 people who owe millions of dollars in unpaid fines. His outstanding debt of $68,569 tops the government’s own Name and Shame file. See who else is on the list.
Windscreens Territory owner Stephen Arrigo is at the top of the list, owing $68,569, $26,000 more than what he owed ($42,788) in June 2022 last year.
Mr Arrigo ran for the Senate for the Great Australia Party in 2022 where he encouraged Territorians to “vote the majors out”. He ran on a platform of “a fair go” and freedom from “never-ending taxes”.
His business was issued two separate $25,000 fines when it was found in breach of the Chief Health Officer’s directions during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Windscreens Territory owner Stephen Arrigo tops the name and shame list.
His son Dylan Arrigo, who was charged with failing to cease to loiter at the time, also appears on the list. He owes $15,675.
The 800 owe an average of about $13,000 each, ranging from Mr Arrigo’s $68.5k to Casuarina’s Douglas Richardson’s just a little more than $10,000.
The list only includes those who owe more than $10,000 so the overall total of unpaid fines has not been disclosed.
Business entity Capital One (NT), run by the former owners of Nightcliff’s Souvlaki Grill and Chill Violet Krishna and Michael Tolios, makes a prominent appearance on the list as well.
The business was the first in the Territory to be found in breach of Covid non-compliance in July 2021 with staff working without masks and no Covid safety plan enacted. The entity Capital One (NT) still owes $20,510.
Steve Arrigo ran for the Senate in the 2022 Federal Election for the Great Australia Party. Picture: Facebook
Wadeye’s Brian Tchinburr remains third on the list, still on the hook for $39,734, which was the same amount listed in 2022.
Tonisha Nykamp, who did not appear on the 2022 list, owes the second highest amount -$50,704.
There are 31 people from interstate. Eleven Queenslanders appear – including Lucas Cheyne of Southport who owes $23,777, Michael Reginald Eveleigh of South Mackay owes $15,182 and Joan Betty Gater of Cairns owes $13,755.
Meliya Lee Carrington from White Hills, Victoria owes the largest sum of any interstater with $34,948.
Alice Springs is home to the largest number on the list with 123 people in the region owing the government more than $10,000.
Meanwhile, Katherine has 77 people, more than Darwin, which only has 73 while on a suburb level Winnellie, where Mr Arrigo is based, has the most with 40.
People who do not pay their fines face the possibility of further penalties including the suspension of their driver licence or business by the Motor Vehicle Registry.
They could also have their vehicle clamped, have money taken from their wages or have their assets seized and sold off.