Decision details

Moved by Councillor Forster, seconded by Councillor Chung -

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note:

(i)          smoking is legal but is a recognised health hazard, for both smokers and those exposed to second-hand smoke;

(ii)         cigarette butts take 15 years to break down and are a significant environmental problem for City streets and waterways;

(iii)        in June 2014, Council resolved in favour of my Notice of Motion calling on the City to conduct a smoke-free trial of Martin Place;

(iv)       this successful trial resulted in a permanent smoking ban in Martin Place from 27 June 2016, closely followed by a permanent smoking ban in Pitt Street Mall from 26 September 2016;

(v)         Sydney Square became smoke-free in early 2020; and

(vi)       there are still many highly frequented public spaces located throughout the City of Sydney’s surrounding villages that could benefit from the introduction of smoke-free areas; and

(B)        the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)          conduct an audit of key public spaces across the City of Sydney local government area, excluding the CBD, with the aim of identifying possible smoke-free areas; and

(ii)         report back to Councillors via a CEO Update the results of this audit.

Carried unanimously.

S129260