Image
Camera IconImage Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Roadside litter prevention trial unveiled along major WA highways

Montana ArdonThe Advocate

MOTORISTS who litter on major highways around Western Australia are the target of a new State Government anti-litter trial.

Environment Minister Albert Jacob unveiled the Regional Roadside Litter Prevention Project yesterday at Ginger’s Roadhouse on Great Northern Highway, one of four major litter hotspots that also included Great Eastern Highway, Brand Highway and Forrest Highway.

Mr Jacob said he hoped the trial would reduce rubbish on roadsides and change motorists’ long-term littering behaviour.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

“The project is centred on the ‘WA Naturally Thanks You’ message and will encourage people to do the right thing with their rubbish by promoting a sense of personal responsibility,” he said.

“Everyone is capable of making a difference and I’m confident thanking people in advance for doing the right thing will help change the habit of roadside littering.

“This initiative, together with the State Government’s recently announced container deposit scheme, will make a big difference in WA.”

The $185,000 project – supported by the Keep Australia Beautiful Council (WA) and Main Roads WA – will run until the end of the year.

Results from the 2015-16 National Litter Index indicated roadsides continued to attract high volumes of litter, and were where the majority of litter in the state was found.

Signs that discourage littering will be put up on the highways and at rest stop bins, and complimentary litterbags will be available at 20 roadhouses along these routes.

The Keep Australia Beautiful Council will also survey drivers at the roadhouses on their reactions to littering.

Swan Hills MLA Frank Alban said there was no excuse to litter.

“We have bins, we have tips, we have the whole lot yet we still continue to disrespect our country by throwing rubbish out the window,” he said.

“These roads are our shopfront to the Swan Hills and the rest of the state, it is awful not only for locals, but for visitors to see the most beautiful country in the world littered.”

The State Government announced last week it would introduce a container deposit scheme in 2018 to reduce littering of drink containers.