CBD-wide smoking ban for North Sydney

Sydney's second largest CBD will soon be smoke-free in all public places should the community agree to a council proposal.

North Sydney's CBD could soon be smoke-free in all public places.

North Sydney's CBD could soon be smoke-free in all public places. Source: AAP

Smokers will be asked to butt out of Sydney's second-largest CBD if the council gets it wish to create what is possibly a first smoke free area in a major CBD.

North Sydney councillors this week unanimously passed a motion to ban smoking in every public place.

The proposal now goes to community consultation but Mayor Jilly Gibson reckons the community will back what may be the nation's first CBD-wide smoking ban in a capital city.

She even hopes to eventually make North Sydney the first smoke-free municipality.

"Why not try these big ideas?" Ms Gibson told AAP.

"Even if we reduce people's smoking in the CBD by, let's say, 50 per cent, that would be a huge result."

NSW Deputy Premier and Nationals leader John Barilaro on Wednesday trashed the proposal.

"I think they're overstepping their mark - they'll hear that from their community," Mr Barilaro told AAP.

"I'm not a smoker but at the same time I also believe we live in a free, democratic country where people have personal choice."

The mayor says the latest move isn't about punishing smokers but about improving the amenity of the area for residents, workers, visitors and school children.

Ms Gibson expects the ban would be enforced through encouragement, not fines, because changing behaviour was at the heart of the proposal.

The NSW town of Glen Innes in the Northern Tablelands introduced a smoking ban across its CBD in 2015.


Share
2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world
CBD-wide smoking ban for North Sydney | SBS News