Refreshed fines relief scheme creates more opportunities for participants to give back to their communities

Thursday, 27 March 2025

The removal of an age cap for mentoring is one of the key improvements the NSW Government has made to its Work and Development Order (WDO) scheme, which has so far cleared more than $409 million worth of fines for more than 138,000 people, since its inception in 2011.

The WDO scheme allows people experiencing hardship to engage in support pathways like medical or mental health treatment, vocational or life skills courses, financial counselling, case management, volunteer work and drug or alcohol treatment as a way of paying off fines.

More than two-thirds of participants in the scheme leave with ‘zero fine balance’, meaning they have been able to avoid the significant burden of paying off a fine amidst a cost-of-living crisis.

The refreshed WDO guidelines remove the over-25 age restriction for mentoring programs, clarify the way people living interstate can participate, and allow social workers to sign up as sponsors.

The removal of the age restriction for mentoring programs also gives Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people more opportunities to participate in cultural activities like On Country learning.

There are more than 3,000 WDO sponsors in NSW, including not-for-profits, health practitioners, social workers and government agencies.

Around 60 per cent of WDO providers are based in greater Sydney and these new guidelines aim to create opportunities for more regional providers to join the system so they can help make a positive change in their community.

To further educate sponsors and participants about the refreshed WDO scheme a new Resource Kit has been developed to include a range of detailed factsheets on how it will operate.

Organisations or individuals interested in becoming sponsors will also receive comprehensive support from Revenue NSW and Legal Aid NSW to help them sign up, understand what they need to provide and how it will benefit their organisation, their community and participants.

Legal Aid NSW will provide targeted training to WDO Sponsors on the updates to the Guidelines throughout 2025

View the new WDO Guidelines and Resource Kit.

Department of Communities and Justice Deputy Secretary Anne Campbell said:

“The WDO scheme is an effective way to divert people from the justice system and ease the burden of debt for those most in need.

“This refreshed scheme will not only ease financial pressures for people doing it tough, it also connects participants with meaningful ways to give back to the community.

“New eligibility criteria for people experiencing hardship simplifies the process for WDO sponsors which we hope will lead to more sponsors coming on board, particularly in regional areas.

“While this scheme has helped hundreds of thousands of people so far, we want it to help even more. So, if you or your organisation want to contribute to your community, consider signing up as a WDO sponsor to help break the cycle of debt and disadvantage.”

NSW Commissioner of Fines Administration Scott Johnston said:

“Fines can have far-reaching consequences for individuals and families experiencing hardship and perpetuate the cycle of disadvantage.

“These new WDO guidelines provide Revenue NSW with refreshed tools to support an alternative pathway for vulnerable individuals.

“I encourage all organisations across the state to get involved and sign up to the scheme so they can help people get out of the cycle of debt and towards a better future.”

Legal Aid NSW CEO Monique Hitter said:

"The new WDO Guidelines will expand on the opportunities available for people experiencing disadvantage to access the WDO scheme and resolve their fines without causing further hardship.

“We know the program not only helps reduce the level of stress and anxiety clients feel about their fines debt but also helps address the factors that made it hard for them to pay their fines in the first place.

“For example, helping them engage with medical or mental health treatment to address issues which impact their ability to pay fines or providing incentive to commit to alcohol or drug treatment and recovery.

"The WDO Service at Legal Aid NSW will be running training sessions for sponsors on the new guidelines."

CEO and Founder Salt Care Peter Dover said:

“The WDO scheme has been amazing for the people we reach.

“We assist people from across the Shoalhaven experiencing disadvantage and many of our WDO participants volunteer in the programs we run, including food services, warehousing and working on our farm.

“The majority of our clients are men and we also run a weekly group where they can come together to talk about what’s going on in their lives and help each other to work out strategies and solutions. With the age restriction lifted under the new WDO guidelines, more participants will now be able to take part in mentoring-style programs like this.

“It’s all about helping get these individuals into a supportive community where they can contribute in a meaningful way. Some of our past participants have even gone on to become support workers with us!”