Litterbugs up for $400 fine

In a move designed to stamp out littering in Waitakere the Waitakere City Council has increased its fine for littering from $100 to $400.

Planning and Regulatory Committee chairman Vanessa Neeson says the fine increase will send a strong message to the small minority in the community who believe it is acceptable to dump their rubbish in public.

"First and foremost Waitakere is an Eco City and this increase in the fine for littering is designed to make people stop and think about the consequences before they litter," Councillor Neeson says.

"While those who dump rubbish in Waitakere may think their actions are relatively innocuous, the reality is the majority of that rubbish ends up in the city's waterways and other natural ecosystems," she says.

Councillor Neeson says nearly all Waitakere residents make an effort to place their rubbish where it belongs - in the bin - and that this fine increase only targets those who continue to let the team down.

"What the council is hoping is that the publicity surrounding this fine increase will make people make an extra effort to be tidy kiwis," she says.

The council is also installing additional ashtrays throughout Waitakere's main town centres so that smokers can dispose of their cigarettes.

It is the first time in 20 years that the fine for littering has been increased.

ENDS

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