Cigarette butts will be the key focus of EPA Victoria’s Summer litter
crackdown, with figures revealing around 25 bushfires in Victoria’s park and
forests are caused every year by discarded butts.
Launching its new mobile litter reporting site, www.epa.vic.gov.au/reportlitter
, at St Kilda Beach on the first day of Summer, EPA CEO John Merritt revealed
more than 90 per cent of the $3.5 million in fines issued for littering this
year were for butts thrown from cars.
And he warned the crackdown on litterers would continue over summer, as the
fire danger reached its peak: “About 90 per cent of our litter fines are for
cigarette butts that have been thrown from cars, and make up about 50 per cent
of the litter generated in Victoria.
“So, no apologies, those caught littering from cars will face hefty fines -
including a maximum penalty of $577 for flicking a lit cigarette,” Mr Merritt
said.
More than 50,000 Victorians have already signed up to report litter. The new
litter reporting mobile site will make that process even easier. From today,
any mobile device can be used to report litter on www.epa.vic.gov.au/report
litter.
Mr Merritt said EPA’s Summer Litter Campaign was a state-wide campaign that
would run till the Labour Day weekend in March. It comprises a digital strategy
and radio advertising, targeting Victorians when they are out enjoying the
summer weather.
The launch coincides with a number of key actions being rolled out as part of
the Victorian Government’s Cleaner Yarra and Bay Action plan, including a new
water quality website – cleaneryarrabay.vic.gov.au; the start of the iconic
Beach Report and YarraWatch season; and a new partnership with Life Saving
Victoria to display forecasting signage for nine bay beaches.
“We want people to have information about two of our most beautiful natural
assets, Port Phillip Bay and the Yarra River at their fingertips,’ Minister for
Environment and Climate Change Ryan Smith said.
“Information is power – each and every one of us plays a part in protecting
these areas, through something as simple as reporting litter, you too can get
involved.”
Stop litter where it starts by reporting litterers this summer - visit
www.epa.vic.gov.au/reportlitter or call 1300 EPA VIC (1300 372 842).