Litterers taken to task

CASEY residents are fighting back against litterers, with almost 350 reports made to EPA Victoria recently.
EPA Victoria has just wrapped up a summer litter campaign with 4124 new litter reporters signing up to stamp out litter.
The campaign, which ran from 1 December to the end of March, saw 9612 litter reports made to EPA from across the state.
A total of 349 of those reports were made about litterers in Casey – the fourth highest number of reports from a municipality in Victoria.
EPA Victoria acting chief executive Katrina McKenzie said the results were very positive, highlighting the fact that Victorians were fed up with litterers.
“From the reports that EPA received, 80 per cent related to cigarette litter – both lit and unlit – with majority of litter offenders living in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, predominantly residing in the South East or Northern suburbs,” she said.
“We also learned that people predominantly throw litter from their vehicle, as opposed to dropping it to the ground as they get in or out of their vehicle.”
People who litter face fines of about $288.72 for a small piece of rubbish or unlit cigarette to $577.44 for a lit cigarette.
“We make no apologies,” Ms McKenzie said.
“Litter is one of this state’s most unnecessary burdens, with a clean-up bill of almost $80 million every year in Victoria.”
EPA encourages all Victorians to remain vigilant and to keep reporting litterers all year round.
To make a report, you can download the EPA app, online through EPA’s website, by calling the EPA 24-hour pollution hotline on 1300 EPA VIC or through the mail.