By Charlene Gatt and Vanessa Chircop
MARIBYRNONG City Council will look into banning smoking in outdoor public places after a neighbouring council took the lead last week.
Maribyrnong CEO Vince Haining has told Star the council supported “the broad intent of the framework to reduce the incidence of smoking and the related harms associated with ‘second hand’ smoke”.
“Council would need to determine the costs associated with this approach and community views about smoking in outdoor areas if considering the proposal,” he said.
The City of Hobsons Bay could be the first municipality in Victoria to ban smoking outside schools, kindergartens and hospitals after last week voting to ban smoking on beaches and children’s playgrounds throughout the city from 1 November.
Monash, Moonee Valley, Moreland, Frankston, Port Phillip and the Surf Coast municipalities have already employed outdoor smoke-free areas on beaches, children’s playgrounds and outdoor shopping centres.
One in five Maribyrnong adults are smokers, according to the Victorian Population Health Survey report 2008, while 24.1 per cent of residents have kicked the habit.
The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) has also jumped on the no-smoking bandwagon calling on the State Government for a statewide framework for smoking in outdoor public places, including bans in alfresco dining areas and children’s playgrounds.
“While the MAV believes councils are best placed to determine local smoke-free policies for council-owned buildings and land, Victorians could also benefit from consistent laws for some common outdoor areas,” MAV president Bill McArthur said.
Member for Williamstown Wade Noonan also supported the ban.
“Smoking is a very substantial public health issue,” he said.
