A Wantirna man who dropped a cigarette butt in Scoresby found smoking has become more expensive than he probably expected, after a trip to Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on 31 March.
In fact the cigarette butt, weighing just one fifth of a gram, cost him more than its weight in gold.
The man pleaded not guilty to a charge of depositing litter, contrary to Section 45E(1) of the Environment Protection Act, and escaped conviction, but the Magistrate fined him and ordered him to pay for the cost of the prosecution.
The fine was $300, a little less than the standard on-the-spot fine for littering, but Environment Protection Authority Victoria’s (EPA) court costs added up to another $2,258.
The man had been reported to EPA by a member of the public after he dropped the cigarette butt from his car in Scoresby, on 15 January 2020.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Discarded cigarette butts pollute Victoria’s roadsides, many find their way into nearby waterways, and any burning cigarette butt creates a fire hazard.
EPA issued more than 8,000 infringement notices for littering during 2020/21.
