SMOKING will be banned at playgrounds, children’s sporting events, skate parks and swimming pools, with the state government flagging further curbs on the habit.
An amendment to the Tobacco Act is due in Parliament this year.
Health Minister David Davis said his amendments would apply across the state and be tailored to local government. Rules on smoking at outdoor dining venues would appear soon.
As reported by the Weekly, Wyndham Council has indicated its support for smoking bans in outdoor areas, including playgrounds and sports grounds, but only if they were legislated by Parliament.
The council said smoke-free areas were most effective when there were consistent laws across Victoria.
The Municipal Association of Victoria said the bans would de-normalise smoking but urged the government to go further and introduce bans in alfresco dining areas.
“We are supportive of uniform smoking bans being introduced through state laws for places such as beaches, within 10 metres of playgrounds, and alfresco dining areas. These types of venues attract many families and our children deserve to be protected from secondhand smoke.”
Western Metropolitan Greens MP Colleen Hartland set in motion a bill that would ban smoking at playgrounds and sports grounds, but would also ban smoking at outdoor dining.
“We are really doing the work of government,” she said, adding that the government’s actions were “piecemeal” and it was avoiding upsetting the “big players” in the hospitality industry.
A technical issues paper on implementing the reforms will be out for comment at the end of the month.
