The smoke-free zone in Wollongong's CBD could stretch from the top of Crown Street Mall to the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre if Liberal councillor Leigh Colacino gets his way.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
At tomorrow's meeting, Cr Colacino will move a motion urging Wollongong City Council to consider banning smoking in the newly designated "arts precinct" on Burelli Street.
The council has previously voted to ban smoking in the revamped mall and other council-owned outdoor dining areas by the end of this year.
Cr Colacino said it made sense to extend this ban to the square between the art gallery, town hall, performing arts centre and library.
"There are so many changes planned for the arts precinct, and why would we want to do all that and have it full of cigarette butts?"
"The mall [ban] is a great opportunity and the arts precinct is connected to the mall - we want people to use both." he said.
"And it should be enjoyable to walk through there - not full of smoke."
He said he expected other councillors to support the smoking ban.
"I think the other councillors recognised that we have an obligation to make Wollongong a healthy city, and I think that's why they voted for the mall to be smoke free," he said.
"This is the way the world is going - and I hope they will see this as another great opportunity to show off Wollongong's concerns for its residents and its visitors."
Cr Colacino will ask for a report on banning smoking in the arts precinct to be prepared by August 12 with a view to introducing the ban at the end of this year.