NewS
ISSUE 4 | July 2021
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Blacktown winning war with tossers Our city the second highest in NSW for litter reduction LACKTOWN residents rank second in the list of suburbs that have reported the largest number of ‘tossers’ as part of the NSW Government’s Report A Tosser! Program. Report A Tosser! launched in 2015 as part of the NSW Government’s anti-littering program. Roadside locations are the number one littered sites in NSW, and the program aims to change behaviour and reduce litter by sending a clear message that littering is unacceptable. According to NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Litter Prevention Manager Rupert Saville more than 58,500 people across NSW have registered with Report to EPA to report tossers littering from vehicles. Over 2,700 of these reside in Blacktown. “It’s fantastic to be supported by so many community members who feel so passionate about protecting the environment. Currently, the Report A Tosser! community is over three times the size of the NSW Police Force and is growing,” Mr Saville said. “The program is designed to empower the community to protect the environment and ensure it’s clean and safe for everyone to enjoy. “It also sends a very strong message that anyone can be watching and, if you’re a Tosser, you will be fined,” Mr Saville said. Around 25,000 tonnes of litter is tossed in NSW each year, costing the State and local governments more than $180M to manage. Cigarette butts and takeaway packaging (including straws, cutlery, and plastics) are consistently the top littered items.
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Tossers are getting tossed in Blacktown.
“What many people don’t realise is cigarette butts are made from plastic and they don’t break down, leaching toxins into the environment and causing damage to ecosystems and animals. “A bag carelessly tossed in rural NSW can end up being mistaken for food by a turtle or a straw can get caught in a turtle’s nose. If a turtle eats just one piece of plastic, it will have a 20% chance of dying. Sadly, only one in 1,000 turtles will reach adulthood,” Mr Saville said.
Report a tosser facts Report A Tosser! is part of the successful NSW Litter Prevention Strategy that has reduced the volume of litter by 43% since 2013-2014. To report littering from a vehicle you need to: • Have seen the litter being thrown, or blown, from the vehicle. • Be able to provide the vehicle registration details and the location where the littering took place. • Report the incident within 14 days.
• Submit your report online through Report to EPA Once a report is made there are 18 steps taken to verify the report before any fine is issued. A penalty for a littering offence is like any other offence. That is, a person may choose to have the matter heard in court and the presumption of innocence applies.
To Report ATosser! and protect our environment you can register at www.epa.nsw.gov.au/reporttoepa/
