DRIVING into a town one has never visited before should be an exciting experience.
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However, it can be an unsightly one if there’s rubbish strewn along the road side.
For years it has been drummed into residents both young and old that littering is “bad” and should be avoided.
There’s good reason for this.
Not only does it give a bad first impression and discourage people from even visiting, but it’s also not the best for the environment.
Residents may be surprised to learn that they are able to dob in a “tosser” should they see them doing so.
Of course, there needs to be proof, but if this is going to stop people from littering, then why not take the time to dob them in.
How else are they going to learn?
This isn’t to say the entrances to Leeton are filthy and giving off a bad view of the town.
They aren’t.
However, there is always room for improvement and education in the area.
Residents wanting to do something about “litter bugs” should be aware of the actions they can take to become part of the solution.
If community members see someone littering from their vehicle, they can report them to the EPA and fines from $250 for an individual and $500 for a corporation can be issued from the report.
To report littering from a vehicle residents need to have actually 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 and report the incident within 14 days at www.epa.nsw.gov.au/reporttoepa.
It may seem like an effort, but if someone is fined for their actions perhaps they won’t do it again.
It does seem to be adults much of the time that are throwing rubbish from their vehicles.
Children in school today are much more aware.
Councils do their bit to ensure there are plenty of bins provided around town, but a person needs to be responsible for their own actions.
It might seem like just a silly judgement in error to throw rubbish out a car window, but if done repeatedly it can harm the environment.
Is this the example adults should be setting? The answer is a most definite no and there is a way to stop it.