Bourke St Mall likely to be Melbourne’s next no-smoking zone

Melbourne is about to get another smoke free zone, with one of the biggest and busiest areas in the city set to force smokers to butt out.

Bustling Bourke Street Mall is going smoke free. Picture: Martin Keep

Bourke St Mall is set to become a smoke-free zone.

City of Melbourne councillors are likely to approve the move at a meeting next week, creating a total 11 smoke-free areas in the municipality.

The new zone would include the mall, but also the section of Bourke St east of Swanston St up to Russell Place.

This is in the vicinity of last year’s terrorist attack which saw the murder of Pellegrini’s cafe legend Sisto Malaspina.

Council management has recommended the new smoke-free area go ahead after consulting businesses and individuals in April and May.

“Of individual respondents, 83 per cent were in support of the area becoming smoke-free, eight per cent were neutral and only nine per cent opposed,” said a management report to councillors.

“Businesses were also highly supportive of the proposed smoke free area with 83 per cent in support, eight per cent neutral and nine per cent opposed. “

Proposed smoke-free around Bourke Street Mall. Picture: City of Melbourne

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the ban would be considered at a Future Melbourne Committee meeting on Tuesday.

“If approved, the changes would help create a healthier, cleaner, more welcoming atmosphere for the 60,000 people who visit or work in Bourke Street Mall every day,” she said.

People city portfolio chair Cr Beverley Pinder said the council had engaged with more than 160 businesses and 3000 people, with the overwhelming majority supporting a smoke-free Bourke Street Mall.

“The City of Melbourne has engaged with universities whose students use the area, and will continue discussions aimed at supporting students to make healthy choices while ensuring they understand their options,” she said.

If the anti-smoking crackdown proceeds, the mall, which became a pedestrianised zone in 1978, would be one of the largest and busiest CBD areas to have a ban.

The council’s smoke-free policy started with a six-month trial in the shopping and dining lane of The Causeway in 2013.

MORE NEWS

COULD COP CAR RAMMING BE LINKED TO ATM ROBBERY

BEST PUBS TO WATCH THE FOOTY

Other smoke-free zones include QV, Goldsbrough Lane, Howey Place, Equitable Place, Block Place and popular running tracks The Tan and Princes Park.

CBD laneways Fulham Place and Collins Way were added last September.

Previous consultation data from the council showed that 75 per cent of businesses and 82 per cent of the public had supported areas being clear of smokers.

The council has set aside $50,000 in its 2019-20 budget for costs associated with

prescribing new smoke-free areas.

“These costs include community engagement, communications, and promotion,” said the management report.

“In addition, $93,000 of capital expenditure has been included for the design, production and

installation of suitable smoke-free areas signage and maintenance of existing smoke-free areas.”

About 4000 Victorians die annually due to smoking-related illness, while additional costs for direct healthcare and lost productivity are estimated at more than $2 billion dollars.

[e-mail]

@JMasanauskas