Wollongong councillor George Takacs in Crown Street Mall. Picture: DAVE TEASE
WOLLONGONG ADVERTISER
Wollongong City Council is pushing through moves to ban smoking in Crown Street Mall and the city’s outdoor areas from next year.
But residents still can comment on the proposal online before the end of this month.
The council’s proposed ban will be an extension of separate NSW government laws, which will restrict smoking within four metres of entrances to all buildings and offices with public access from January.
The government will also ban smoking in outdoor dining areas by July 2015.
The council has proposed to increase these restrictions, making all areas of the mall smoke free and bringing the outdoor dining ban forward by 2 years.
Outdoor eateries in Wollongong would be smoke free by January and the Crown Street Mall ban would come into effect once mall refurbishments are completed in 2014.
Wollongong councillor George Takacs, who asked the council to look into the effects of banning smoking, said smokers would be the main beneficiaries of council’s plan. He said community feedback would be collected until October 31.