THE Young Shire is 12 months ahead of the game having already enacted a NSW Parliament January announcement to make new public outdoor areas smoke-free.
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The Tobacco Legislation Amendment Act 2012 was passed by Parliament on August 15, 2012, which saw changes to the Smoke-free Environment Act 2000 to make public outdoor places such as children’s play equipment, swimming pools, spectator areas of sports or recreational grounds, railway platforms, bus stops and taxi ranks smoke-free areas.
The Act also rules that people can’t smoke within four metres of any entry to a public building.
But for Young, signage in these areas was put up more than 12 months ago as part of Young Shire Council’s efforts to foster a healthier community.
“The Young Shire is already 12 months ahead of the game in most of these public areas due to its resolution and grant from the Heart Foundation and Cancer Council last year and signage as a result,” council’s director of planning, environment and strategic services, Craig Filmer said.
Council adopted a comprehensive smoke-free outdoor area policy in 2011 to cover areas such as local parks, recreational facilities and alfresco dining areas.
They invested in a project coordinated by council’s health and community services officer Sally Atkinson to have no smoking signage put up around town thanks to funding from the Cancer Council and the Heart Foundation.
The initiative earned council a state award at last August’s Local Government Awards.
