General News
27 August, 2021
Councils take a hard line on butts
ACROSS our region Councils all see cigarette butt litter as an issue.
Smokers and encouraged to dispose of their butts responsibly when in public with councils installing public ashtrays to encourage responsible disposal of butts.
Douglas Shire recently installed four new cigarette ash trays along the centre space in Macrossan Street
Port Douglas.
This was a direct response to an audit that found more than 2200 cigarette butts in high profile areas along Macrossan Street. Follow up inspections have shown a decrease of cigarette butts around previous hotspots.
Cairns takes a slightly harder line with regard to cigarette butt littering.
Flicking a cigarette butt onto the ground is considered littering. It is illegal under Queensland Government legislation and carries a fine of $275, which is also set by the State as it’s a fine under their legislation with fines of $275 for littering.
RELATED: No Ifs, No Buts, These Butts are Out
There are significant public space areas in Cairns where smoking is prohibited.
The Cairns Esplanade skate park and children’s play areas along with the Lagoon are all no-go areas for smokers, along with the Healing Garden (opposite the hospital).
There are public ashtrays throughout the CBD and Esplanade encouraging visitors and locals to butt-out responsibly.
It is hoped the public ashtrays adjacent the newly redeveloped outdoor dining area of the Esplanade will be reinstalled now that capital works are completed on the dining precinct.
A recent inspection found dozens of discarded butt metres from the new rubbish bins. There are no public ashtrays with the bins.
