Dear

Thank you for helping us out at such short notice.
The submission consists of questions and answers. Cut and paste them into an email, or reword and add any other comments you would like to make.
You must use the heading 'Submission to Victorian Litter Strategy'.
You must include your name, whether you are over 18 yrs of age, your address and whether you are from business, government, a member of a community or environment group or an interested member of the public.
Email it to: litterstrategy@sustainability.vic.gov.au before 4pm Friday April 13.
Thanks once again.

Submission to Victorian Litter Strategy

[1] Who is responsible for cleaning up litter? Responsibility should be shared between government, companies that produce, use and retail the litter items and the consumers of those items. Currently local government and the community pay more than their fair share. Industry must be made to provide much more finance for cleaning up their products.

[2] Who is responsible for preventing litter? To prevent litter government needs to use litter strategies that the community supports. For example, there is very strong community support in Victoria for container deposit legislation. With CDL litter prevention is shared between all stakeholders. Strategies need to target types of litter items that the community sees as being major litter items.

[3] Who should coordinate programs? Any litter body set up to coordinate litter programs must have representation from grass roots community litter groups. If not, these programs risk just reflecting commercial interests and achieving minimal success.

[4] How should programs be funded? Industry should have to fund clean up programs where their products have become major litter items. This is how container deposit legislation works.

[5] What is the best method to determine priorities? Priorities should be determined by what the community perceives to be our major litter items. Priority should be given to programs and strategies which will achieve the quickest and most visible litter reduction impacts. For example, container deposit legislation. Most importantly, priorities should not be influenced by commercial or vested interests.

[6] What are the pros and cons of the behaviour change approach to prevent and reduce litter? This approach takes too long and achieves minimal change. Understanding why people litter does not guarantee that we can change their behaviour. Much money has been spent on litter campaigns in the past. As a result everyone knows that it is wrong to litter. Knowing this does not always change behaviour.

[15] What do you think about the penalties and level of fines for litter? The large amounts of litter along roadsides show that fines do not work. People who litter are not stupid. They don't litter in full view of others. Any increase in fines will not significantly reduce litter.

[18] Are there any economic instruments that might help reduce and prevent litter in Victoria? Container Deposit Legislation has significantly reduced beverage litter in South Australia and other countries. This is important because beverage litter is a major part of our litter stream. It works because it gives people a financial incentive not to litter and other people an incentive to pick up litter that has been dropped.