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Smoke in park, costs in court

A smoke in the park at Doncaster has cost a Thomastown woman more than $1,200 after she dropped a burning cigarette on the ground.

The Ringwood Magistrates’ Court put the woman on a 12-month good behaviour bond and ordered her to pay $500 to the Court Fund and $731 to cover EPA’s court costs.

EPA had originally fined the woman $727, but she chose to take the matter to court.

Under the Environment Protection Act 2017, the fine for dropping a small piece of litter such as a cigarette is $370, but if the cigarette is still burning it is treated as dangerous litter and the fine increases to $740.

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