Dont risk a fine, keep Taupo beautiful

Enjoy all the events, food and activities our district has to offer this summer but litter your cigarette butts or drop your litter and you could be fined up to $200 - with Taupo District Council’s new recycling and cigarette disposal bins there’s no excuse for not keeping Taupo beautiful this festive season.

 

Taupo District Council is running a Keep Taupo beautiful campaign this summer to give residents and visitors to Taupo a friendly reminder to use bins and cigarette disposal systems – otherwise they risk getting a fine!

 

When litter or cigarette butts are dropped, they not only look ugly but a large majority of the waste will end up in stormwater drains, then in the lake or in our gardens.

 

Mayor Rick Cooper is right behind the campaign and says it’s about taking pride in our town. “Please think before you drop it - we have to protect our biggest asset,” he says.

 

Those who ignore the messages and continue to litter, will risk getting themselves an instant fine of $100 for dropping cigarette butts or up to $200 for litter such as burger wrappers.

 

Council is also sending a message to bar and restaurant owners to ensure they provide an area for smokers to dispose of their butts, rather then dropping them in the gutter. Recreation Manager Thunes Cloete said, “Surely bars would prefer the entrance to their venue to look tidy rather then covered in cigarette butts.”

 

Recently new recycling bins and cigarette disposal systems have been introduced around the CBD and on the lakefront so keep an eye out for these.