The Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has launched a new campaign to encourage the community to be the solution and report litter and pollution.
The campaign aims to increase community confidence in playing their part to minimise the impact of litter to the environment and public health.
EPA chief executive Cathy Wilkinson said with more outdoor gatherings occurring over the warmer months, it was a timely reminder.
“Littering not only poses environmental and health risks, it drains money from vital public services such as maintaining our parks,” she said.
“Be the solution and help protect the health of our community and environment by signing up to report littering from a vehicle via the EPA Report Litter App today.”
EPA receives about 20,000 reports of littering each year and works closely with the government, industry and community to use intelligence and surveillance to target offenders.
Fines of up to $330 can be issued for a small piece of litter and $661 for a lit cigarette or burning litter.
Nearly 60 per cent of all litter consists of cigarette butts or packaging.
Victorians can report littering to the EPA Report Litter App or the 24-hour hotline on 1300 EPA VIC (1300 372 842).
For more information, visit: epa.vic.gov.au/report-pollution.
Tara Murray
