$500 penalty for littering?

Press, 28 March 1979, Page 6

$500 penalty for littering?

The Metropolitan Refuse, I Disposal Committee wants! t greatly increased fines toil I stop littering. it Members of the committee Is ; suggested yesterday that! s fines should be as high as!* issoo. “We need to get a < I figure into the legislation! I that the courts will not!; whittle away too much.” said l< 'Mr D. B. Rich. “In my think-is ing. 8500 is not too much.” !t I Cr 1. G. Clark said $200;; was more realistic. j The S2O penalty in the lit-lt | ter legislation was no deter-j l rent in indiscriminate dump-jt iing, or carelessly tied loads; I of rubbish, said the chair-1; Iman (Mr J. M. Mackenzie). A sub-committee will make] formal submissions to the; I Minister of Internal Affairs!; (Mr Higher). A bill revising!: '[the Litter Act. 1968. will be , .introduced to Parliament this j session. h J The matter of “effective”i< ifines was serious in view ofli j bitter complaints from per-j; Isons living near proposed'’ | rubbish transfer stations,!; said Mr MacKenzie. j The committee decided to(< !begin, talks with the Ministry,'< of Transport about catching |< offenders. Cr E. C. Britnell) c suggested the Ministry might >< ;be prepared to second anjt (officer to the committee, if c |the committee paid him toll [give “teeth” to litter en-|t forcement. it

Cr Newton Dodge asked the chairman if the committee had settled firmly on the northern transfer station site. Mr MacKenzie said that the committee was “not about to make a hasty decision,” Mr M. Douglass, the town planning and engineering consultant to the committee, said regular meetings should continue with the Redwood Action Committee. Redwood people were aware of the committee’s problems, and the committee was aware of their fears. The talks defined the areas on which most work needed to be done, he said. The committee designated ■ $5OOO for tree-planting around the coastal landfill [site to screen it by the time [dumping started in March, ! 1986. It also referred to a ! sub-committee the terms of employment of a project [engineer to manage the i scheme. The appointment would be for six to eight years. The committee will ask a Christchurch City Council sub-committee to report on disposal of toxic wastes. The committee had decided that disposal of hazardous wastes was mainly the responsibility of the industries concerned, but the Health Department want the committee to exercise more control.