8/12/2009

A litter problem?

I find it interesting that this country thinks it has a litter problem. Anyone visiting from overseas notices how clean NZ is right away, as I have blogged before.

But, I guess even places that seem under control have the 'problem children' to deal with, so one Taranaki District is trying to keep it under control.


New Plymouth District Council crackdown on littering looms

By RYAN EVANS - Taranaki Daily New


Hefty fines could be on the way for people caught littering around New Plymouth.
The worst offenders could face fines of up to $400 under a proposal being considered by the New Plymouth District Council.
People caught committing less serious littering offences would attract fines of between $100 and $300.
The move comes against a backdrop of growing community concern over the problem of littering, rubbish dumping and broken glass on public and private land. In the year to June 30, the New Plymouth District Council fielded 654 littering complaints, 239 of which related to broken glass and 40 related to rubbish dumped on reserve land.
The council's roading and parks departments spent a combined total of $860,000 a year for routine cleaning and litter collection around the district.
We were in New Plymouth yesterday taking photos of the beach and were approached by the writer of this article for our opinions (which we were more than willing to share!).

I have to admire the steps this country takes to keep it litter-free and fines might be a deterrent. But I'm convinced that instilling a sense of responsibility will be of much more use.

5 comments:

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Hi Betty--- I wish Tennessee (and our country) would take littering more seriously. People just throw things out of their car windows around here. Ridiculous!

Hugs,
Betsy

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

Did you catch the labour Party bus that came your way yesterday? Are you children schoolaged so you are interested in the new sporting allowance, and NZ needs a telethon to feed the kids?

Anonymous said...

Litter makes me sick. The thought of people using this beautiful planet as their fricking garbage can...And if people raisd their children with a sense of responsibility -- and actually modeled it themselves -- there wouldn't be any litter in the first place, so I hope they truly enforce those fines.

LadyFi said...

Sweden is pretty clean too... but the centre of Stockholm is getting more littered. However, they do go to great lengths to try and teach kids from kindergarten already about taking care of the environment.

Mauigirl said...

Hi, thanks for your comment on my blog! Glad to have found you...

I love New Zealand, we were there about 20 years ago and plan to go back one of these days. I know what you mean about them worrying about litter when the place seems so clean...I had the same thought when we were there when I heard they were having a big "crime problem" because someone set fire to a dustbin! In semi-urban New Jersey that kind of "crime" is the least of our problems.

NZ is such a beautiful place. I'm so happy for you that you moved there!