Richmond Council cancels 150 fine after footage review

A woman who was fined 150 for pouring the dregs of her coffee into a street drain near Richmond station on October 10 has had the fixed penalty notice cancelled after the local council reviewed footage of the encounter. Burcu Yesilyurt, who lives in Kew, said she tipped a small amount from a reusable cup while boarding a bus and was immediately stopped by three enforcement officers, issued a notice, and left shaken by the interaction.

Yesilyurt said the amount she poured was tiny and that she had acted to avoid spilling coffee on the bus. "It wasn't much, it was just a tiny little bit," she said, and added that she had not seen signs warning that disposing of liquids in drains was an offence. She lodged a formal complaint with the council and did not pay the notice.

Richmond Council said it reviewed bodyworn camera footage and concluded that a contravention had occurred that initially justified issuing the fixed penalty notice. The council also said the officers did not behave aggressively. It added that fixed penalty notices set out an appeal process and that, had the case been taken through that route, the notice would likely have been rescinded. On that basis the council...