North Sydney CBD Smoke-free

North Sydney Council has voted to ban smoking in the North Sydney CBD, making it the first Sydney Council to do so.

The councillors supported the proposal unanimously after feedback from community consultation indicated that the majority of people were in favour of making the whole of the North Sydney CBD smoke free.

Community consultation was undertaken between 22 October 2018 and 28 February 2019 to determine if there was community support. There were 577 responses with 80 per cent of people supporting the proposal.

The ban will be implemented in two stages.

The first stage will focus on spreading awareness of the change and self-regulation for a three-month period. Footpath decals will be installed advising people that smoking will be prohibited in the CBD as well as the area north of the CBD (up to the Council Chambers and the Civic Centre). A further report will go to council at the end of this period to review whether self-regulation is working or enforcement of the prohibition is needed.

North Sydney Mayor Jilly Gibson said she’s proud that North Sydney is leading the way in this important change.

As I said in my mayoral minute last year, MM01 Smoke Free CBD (156KB) I believed our community would support a push to expand our no smoking zone policy and as I predicted, it has been widely welcomed.

There’s been a lot of interest in this proposal and I’m not surprised. Second hand smoke is detrimental to everyone’s health. We want to create a safe environment for our community where everyone can enjoy our outdoor open spaces.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics highlights that tobacco smoking is one of the largest preventable causes of death and disease in Australia. It increases the risk of a range of health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, renal disease, eye disease and respiratory conditions.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics website:

Tobacco was responsible for 7.8% of the total burden of disease and injury in Australia in 2003, equivalent to around 15,000 deaths per year, and was estimated to cost Australia $31.5 billion in social (including health) and economic costs in 2004-05.