Hundreds of smokers continue to flout Crown Street Mall's non-smoking rules, despite a 50 per cent drop in the recorded number of rule breakers since the council introduced its ban.
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A new Wollongong City Council report shows the number of smokers approached by a security contractor dropped from 1000 in November 2013, to an average of 500 a month between November 2014 and January this year.
Additionally, a survey carried out once a month - on Wednesdays or Saturdays at midday and on Thursday evenings - from August to October last year, found there were between 114 and 155 "non-compliant smokers" observed.
The smoke-free zone, introduced in November 2013, includes Crown Street between Keira and Kembla streets, Globe Lane, Globe Way and Church Street from Globe Lane to Court Lane, as well as licensed outdoor dining and council-owned alfresco areas in the mall.
Until now, the council has taken a lenient, "education-based" approach, using methods like "stickers and promotional postcards", signs on tree guards and social media messages instead of fines to enforce the ban.
It also developed a "fun, bright and innovative" character titled Nicci Butt to promote the no smoking message.
Not a single fine has been issued since the smoking ban began.
However, in the report to councillors, staff have proposed the council's rangers be deployed one day a week for a three-month period to "gauge the effectiveness of this approach".
Under the Local Government Act, the council's regulation and enforcement division can issue fines of $110.
The results of the ranger trial will then be sent to councillors to be discussed.
Also at next week's meeting, councillors will consider a report on the proposal to ban smoking in the Arts Precinct.
Stemming from a 2013 motion by Liberal councillor Leigh Colacino, the draft proposal would make the area between the town hall, art gallery, performing arts centre and council administration building a smoke-free zone.
The council surveyed the community in July and August last year about the proposed ban and 42 per cent of those surveyed supported smoking, 51 per cent thought the whole arts precinct should be smoke free and 6.3 per cent did not offer an opinion.