ok it works like this..
mr officer does his paperwork at his end and issues the details thru to the RTA.. the RTA then sends you a letter stating your ban begins on X day of X month and ends on Y day of Y month..
you "shouldnt" have an overlap period of not having rec'd the letter and the suspension..
if you drive while suspended it is up to mr policeman to determine if you are lying about not having rec'd the suspension letter.. you will either get a warning and they will note this on your licence file, or you will be charged with driving while suspended.. not a risk id take..
as for overpaying fines.. doenst work, so dont bother trying.. just because the case isnt "closed" if you dont bank the cheque for the $3 doesnt mean the transaction isnt finalised and you arent suspended or havent lost points..
i lost my licence for 3 months for doing 35 over, wasnt fun mate.. but my best mate from my younger days is a cop, and ive asked all the questions.. basically you got two options..
1. cop it on the chin that you were speeding and do your suspension, or
2. fight it in court, as you said, you have a clean record for the last 8 years, it might be worthwhile to fight it in court. you might be able to convince a judge that your 30 over speeding wasnt dangerous and was a brain explosion moment when all you had was your mates suprise party and being on time in mind..
good luck J