A Warrnambool magistrate says the word has to get out that people cannot flout the law and expect to get away with it.
Suzanne Cornelius, 48, of Furneaux Road, Caramut, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court to driving while disqualified, driving an unregistered vehicle, failing to wear a seatbelt and using false number plates.
Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt said many people in the same situation as Cornelius seemed to regard the road rules as some sort of "vague indication of what should be done", rather than them being the law.
He said the laws for drink-driving were all about safety and preserving life and limb.
He said Cornelius had been in Australia for 10 years and had been detected drink-driving three times.
Mr Klestadt said he understood and accepted that a person living in the bush needed a licence but the word had to get out that people can't ignore the laws and can't continue to drive after losing their licence.
The court heard that on August 18 last year police pulled over Cornelius at an address in Koroit Street, Warrnambool, after noticing she wasn't wearing a seatbelt.
The number plates didn't belong to the vehicle Cornelius was driving and she produced an expired New Zealand driver's licence.
Cornelius had a cancelled Victorian driver's licence and admitted to police she had driven into the driveway to avoid them.
Defence counsel Xavier Farrelly said Cornelius came to Australia in 2001 and had worked in the wool industry.
He said she suffered from heart trouble and may need an operation. He said she had family support in New Zealand.
For driving while disqualified Cornelius was convicted and fined $1000. For driving an unregistered vehicle, failing to wear a seatbelt and displaying false number plates she was convicted and fined $500.
Her driver's licence was cancelled and disqualified for three months.
Mr Klestadt said if Cornelius appeared before the court again for similar offences he would be considering the length of a jail term.