A Frankston man has been ordered to pay $500 to a fund for environmental projects after he tossed a burning cigarette butt from a car in a rural area at Tyabb.
A witness reported seeing him throw the burning cigarette from the window of a Mitsubishi Lancer travelling along Coolart Road, just after midnight on 31 August last year.
The state's environmental watchdog EPA Victoria says cigarette butts are the most common type of litter, they often find their way through drains and waterways to the bay, and lit cigarettes can cause bushfires if they land among grass or bush. Coolart Rd, Tyabb, runs through a mixed farming and rural residential area with stands of native bush.
Having received a fine from EPA, the man took the case to the Frankston Magistrates' Court, where he pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawfully depositing dangerous litter.
The Magistrate found the charge proven but did not record a conviction. Instead, the man was ordered to pay $500 to the EPA Restorative Project account, which supports local environmental projects, often run by community volunteers.
Members of the public can report littering from vehicles on the EPA Victoria website epa.vic.gov.au/report-pollution/report-litter-from-vehicles
