Reminder on litter laws

Gosford Mayor Cr Chris Holstein has reminded people that new litter laws have came into effect.

The laws include a range of on-the-spot fines instead of the previous single $200 fine. These are:

$60 for small litter items such as bottle tops and stubbed-out cigarette butts;

$200 for general littering, lit cigarette butts and for any item littered from a vehicle, and;

$375 for dangerous littering, such as smashing glass bottles in a public place.

"These litter fines are now more flexible. They’ll allow enforcement officers to match the fine to the severity of the offence," Cr Holstein said.

A number of government agencies are authorised to issue litter fines including local councils, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Waterways Authority and the Environment Protection Authority.

"Littering ranks highly with the community as an environmental issue and recent advertising campaigns have been designed to make us all stop and think about our own habits and the impact of littering on our environment.

"People litter in everyday situations like at the bus stop or on their lunch break, as well as littering with cigarette butts, which accounts for close to half of the litter items.

"Gosford City Council Rangers are starting a program of patrols of main business districts to educate the public about the new litter laws and to detect offenders.

"We’re reminding people to think about what they’re throwing away before they litter," Cr Holstein said.

October 17