One man’s $833 mistake with a single cigarette in country Victoria should serve as a warning to others, the state’s Environmental Protection Authority says.
A witness reported seeing a man toss a lit cigarette butt from his Toyota Camry on the Hume Freeway at Barnawartha North on June 7, 2023.
“It was hard to miss, the burning cigarette bounced off the bonnet of the witness’ vehicle,” EPA Victoria said.
The man was charged with unlawfully depositing dangerous litter.
Earlier this week on Tuesday, he failed to appear at Wodonga Magistrates’ Court.
EPA Victoria said the magistrate found the charge proven, imposed a conviction, fined the man $740 and ordered him to pay the authority $93 in costs.
The authority said that while the offence happened last year, it was a warning as the state entered its hotter months.
“Throwing the same burning material from a car during summer could easily start a devastating bushfire, and the Hume Freeway at Barnawartha North has native bush along the freeway reserve,” EPA Victoria said.
According to Clean Up Australia, cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet.
An estimated 8.9 billion butts are tossed each year in Australia with each taking about 14 years to decompose.
