North Sydney Council plans smoking ban in all public places

Smokers may soon have to travel into neighbouring suburbs to enjoy a cigarette as part of controversial new laws proposed by a Sydney council.

Smokers in North Sydney have put on watch under plans to make the local government area the first in Australia to ban smoking in all public areas.

Sparking-up in parks, footpaths and other public areas would be outlawed in suburbs including Crows Nest, Cammeray, Neutral Bay, Milsons Point and North Sydney as part of an ambitious plan due to be considered at next week’s North Sydney Council meeting.

Independent Mayor Jilly Gibson, who has spearheaded the move, said residents would be able to have their say on the blanket-wide ban as part of a referendum question at September’s council elections.

Cr Gibson said the aim of the smoke-free approach included improvements in health benefits, cleaner air and reductions in cigarette litter in public places.

Mayor Jilly Gibson will table the proposal at next week’s council meeting.

“What people do in their own homes and backyards is their own business, but on streets and public places I want us to be smoke-free,” she said.

“I’m sure we’ll hear criticism about being a nanny state but through a positive education approach I don’t think it would take long for everyone to catch on and butt-out.

“We often see tradies and people on the streets smoking and then grinding out their cigarettes on the pavement – there are cigarette butts everywhere. This is a big step but we want our streets to be cleaner.”

The council already takes a no-nonsense approach to smokers, having banned smoking in the North Sydney CBD in 2019 – on top of bans previously enacted near playgrounds, sports fields, outdoor dining areas on council owned land, bus shelters and taxi ranks.

Smoking is already banned in public areas in the CBD limits.

Extending the ban would also split various suburbs in two including sections of Crows Nest and St Leonards where it would be legal to smoke north of Chandos St in the Willoughby local government area, but illegal south of the border in North Sydney.

A council spokeswoman said rangers currently do not issue fines for smoking, but will begin enforcing the CBD smoking ban as part of the second stage of the ‘no-smoking’ rollout in the upcoming 2021/22 financial year.

“However, we have found that most people have been complying with the CBD smoking ban without enforcement and are happy with this initiative,” the spokeswoman said in a statement.

Some local businesses have expressed trepidation with LGA-wide plan, with TreeHouse Hotel licensee Lucy Christopher questioning how it could be enforced.

“I know some people hate smoking, others don’t mind it, but if it got banned it would be more frustrating for smokers than anything else,” she said.

“We have a large outdoor area at the front of the venue and a lot of office workers pop out outside on their lunch breaks for a ciggie.

The ban would be promoted through an education campaign.

“They’d probably have a really quick meal and then go because want to be somewhere they can smoke.

“There are so many rules at the moment I feel it’s probably one of the least offensive things people can do that is still legal.”

North Sydney Tobacconist owner Jimmy Jar said the proposal was “over the top”.

“It would have a big impact on our business – there should be designated areas where people are able to smoke outside,” he said.

“There are a lot of office workers who smoke and what do they do if they want a cigarette? Do they go home to have a cigarette?”

Cr Gibson said the LGA-wide ban could include signs and “stamps” on footpaths alerting smokers, along with stickers that residents and businesses could place on letter boxes or windows stating “proud to be smoke free.”

The ban would not include vaping.

If supported by councillors next week, the referendum would be included on the ballot at the September council election with he wording due to be considered at another council meeting in April.

NSW Health data shows the Northern Sydney Local Health District, which takes in North Sydney, has the state’s lowest smoking rate in adults with just 3.9 per cent of adults identified as daily smokers – almost two-thirds lower than the statewide 11.2 per cent average.

A previous poll commissioned by the council found 80 per cent of North Sydney residents supported the ban within the North Sydney CBD limits.