A Whittlesea man has been ordered to pay nearly $2,000 in fines after he tossed a burning cigarette butt into a car park at South Morang.
The man had pleaded not guilty in Heidelberg Magistrates Court to a charge of depositing litter, contrary to the Environment Protection Act.
The court heard the man had been smoking in the driver’s seat of a car parked outside Woolworths South Morang on the afternoon of March 27th last year.
A witness saw him throw the burning cigarette butt from the vehicle onto the ground where it was still smoking, the court was told.
The witness reported the details, including the car’s number plate and a description of the car and driver, to Victorian Environment Protection Authority’s (EPA) pollution hotline.
The EPA says cigarette butts are the most common form of litter, with many finding their way into waterways; while burning cigarette butts create a fire hazard.
The Authority issued more than 8,500 infringement notices for littering during 2020/21.
Members of the public can report litter and other pollution by calling EPA’s 24 hour hotline on 1300 EPA VIC (1300 372 842) or providing details online at epa.vic.gov.au/report-pollution/reporting-pollution
