Published on Wednesday, 27 July 2022 at 1:20:00 PM
The busiest streets in the City of Vincent’s town centres will become smoke free areas by the end of 2022.
One of the targets in Vincent’s Public Health Plan 2020 – 2025 is to achieve smoke free town centres by 2025 to reduce community exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and create healthy environments for people to enjoy.
Between May and August 2021, Vincent consulted the community, businesses and public health stakeholders on draft smoke free boundaries for Leederville, Mount Hawthorn, North Perth, Beaufort Street and William Street.
A total of 345 submissions were received with 61 per cent of participants supporting the proposed smoke free areas.
As a result, Council approved five smoke free areas at its 26 July Ordinary Council Meeting.
The areas are parts of North Perth, Mount Hawthorn, Leederville, William Street and Beaufort Street.
The main streets in the boundaries include Angove and Fitzgerald Streets in North Perth, Scarborough Beach Road in Mount Hawthorn and Oxford Street in Leederville.
The Local Government Property Amendment Local Law 2022 and the Smoke Free Areas – Education and Policy were also adopted by Council so that smoke free areas could be brought to life.
Mayor Emma Cole said introducing smoke free areas would reduce the community exposure to tobacco smoke and improve health outcomes.
“We know that there is no safe level of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke,” she said.
“The smoke free areas cover many of our most lively main streets with alfresco areas and will create healthy environments for people to dine, relax and shop along the street.
“They will also discourage the normalisation of smoking and reducing litter from cigarette butts.”
Ms Cole said the roll out of the smoke free areas would be focused on education and awareness.
“The smoke free areas will be a big change for our community so it is important that we build up our education and awareness raising to ensure a smooth transition for those areas,” she said.
“We will have various activities in our town centres such as pop-up events, a launch event, smoke free signage, public awareness campaigns and targeted communication campaigns for population groups with higher smoking rates and young people.
“After six months, education and awareness will continue to be the primary approach, but officers would be able to make enforcement decisions, subject to some key principles.
“These include repeated offences, without a willingness to respond to education, and important considerations around the safety and vulnerability of the person."
Enforcement of the smoke free areas penalties of $100, and a $200 maximum, would be allowed following six months and after the City receives approval for the Local Government Property Local Law from the Joint Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation.
See the maps below:
Beaufort Street smoke free area.
Leederville smoke free area.
Mount Hawthorn smoke free area.
North Perth smoke free area.
William Street smoke free area.
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