A Hopetoun Park man has taken an EPA litter fine to court, only to wind up paying the fine and more than twice as much in legal costs.
EPA fined the registered owner of a vehicle after a member of the public reported seeing his female passenger dropping baby wipes in the street at Wallington, north of Ocean Grove.
EPA issued the registered owner 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 Magistrate's Court. The court did not record a conviction, but found the charge proven and fined him $330 and ordered him to pay EPA's costs of $855.47.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The offence took place on Sunday, 5 January 2020, in a carpark located along Wallington-Ocean Grove Road.
Members of the public can report 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
