By MICHELLE HERBISON
A NEW anti-litter campaign will encourage witnesses to report lawbreakers via a mobile website, Barwon Regional Waste Management Group has announced.
Group chair councillor Andy Richards said residents and visitors could report litterbugs in real-time to help clean up the region.
“We’re trying to encourage the community to take ownership in protecting our beautiful region so it remains clean and litter-free for generations to come,” he said.
The waste management group said the campaign aimed to “significantly increase” reporting of litterers by 30 per cent.
“Not only is it important for people to understand the serious repercussions of littering, it’s time for all of us to act responsibly and to take action,” the group said.
Local taxpayers were slugged $2 million annually to clean up roadside litter, the group’s figures revealed.
The litter cost City of Greater Geelong $1.44 million, Surf Coast Shire $267,000, Colac Otway Shire $220,000 and Borough of Queenscliffe $143,000.
Cigarette butts made up half of the state’s roadside litter, while drink bottles accounted for 20 per cent of rubbish on Victorian beaches and half the refuse found in parks.
The group said the litterbug reporting site was at epa.vic.gov.au/reportlitter.
