By Taylah Eastwell
A split second decision has turned into a costly lesson for a Ferntree Gully woman.
The woman was recently ordered by Ringwood Magistrates Court to pay hundreds of dollars after dropping a lit cigarette from a car in Boronia Village car park.
A member of the public reported the woman to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), who charged the woman and issued the woman a summons to court.
The magistrate placed the woman on a good behaviour bond and ordered her to pay $753 in legal costs to the EPA.
The woman is the third person to pay hundreds of dollars over dropped cigarette butts in the past two months, with a Wantirna man also ordered to pay $1,000 recently for dropping a cigarette beside a road in Scoresby.
The EPA said it received “20,000 reports of littering each year” and works closely with government, industry and the community to use intelligence and surveillance to target offenders.
EPA’s Director of Regulatory Programs, Dan Hunt says it’s often members of the community who report littering.
“Victorians don’t like litter, and as many offenders are discovering it can cost you a lot more than the little bit of effort it takes to do the right thing,” Mr Hunt said.
“Put out the cigarette and put it in a bin, or take it with you.”
EPA issued more than 13,000 infringement notices for littering, last financial year.
Members of the public can report pollution by calling EPA’s 24 hour hotline on 1300 EPA VIC (1300 372 842).
