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Wednesday, August 05, 2009

stopping begging mentality

Proposed begging fines in Australia
* Council proposes $130 fine for begging
* "Up to beggers to find the cash"
* Criticised as "wacky" and "a stunt"

PEOPLE begging for spare change in Alice Springs could be slapped with a $130 fine.

So strange is the controversial new by-law, proposed by the Alice Springs Town Council, it has been described by Northern Territory Chief Minister Paul Henderson as "wacky'' and "a stunt''.

Fining people for begging simply "beggars belief'', he said.

The council has voted to put 89 new by-laws on public display this week which, if passed, would give council rangers powers to fine people who are begging $130.

"That's up to them to figure out how to pay it,'' said the Director of Corporate and Community Services Craig Catchlove.

"We invoice people or give them the fine if they don't pay it within a certain amount of time...

"But the bottom line is we don't want people begging in this town and there needs to be some way of stopping the practice.''

Not all Territorians are as enamoured with the plan, which Jonathan Pilbrow, from the NT Council of Social Services, said created an "us and them mentality''.

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