Littering in Ocean Grove has expensive consequences

A MAN who littered in Wallington has taken a fine issued by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria to court, only to wind up paying the full penalty as well as more than twice as much in legal costs.

The EPA fined the registered owner of a vehicle after a member of the public reported seeing his female passenger dropping baby wipes in a car park in Wallington-Ocean Grove Road on January 5.

The EPA issued the owner from the Bacchus Marsh suburb of Hopetoun Park with an infringement notice, where he exercised his right not to nominate his female passenger as being responsible and chose to have the matter heard in court.

The man pleaded not guilty in the Geelong Magistrates’ Court. The court did not record a conviction, but found the charge proven and fined him $330 and ordered him to pay the EPA’s costs of $855.47.

According to the EPA’s website, items that can be reported as being littered from a vehicle or near a vehicle that someone is using include:

• Cigarette butts
• Organic waste (such as food or apple cores)
• Chemicals
• Metal (such as aluminium cans)
• Glass (such as beer bottles)
• Plastic (such as food packaging), and
• Fabric.

Last year, the EPA received about 20,000 reports of littering from a vehicle, and 70 per cent of those received a fine.

Members of the public can report pollution by phoning the EPA’s 24-hour hotline on 1300 EPA VIC (1300 372 842) or providing details online at the EPA Victoria website.