Blacktown City Council Responding And Working With The Community's Smoke-Free Environment Act!

Sometimes it takes weeks to to resolves issues, to improve the physical  changes of  our community, sometime it takes overnight action to get the improvements or even months as we have found out with major changes or at the most it could take many years and I'll never see them ( I hope I do actually!)

Just over 2-3 weeks of recent I have been publishing blogs on missing Smoke-Free signs on the outside of entrances at Westfield Mount and the non-replacement of them.

Council Officers previously wanted only the a sole community advocate to deal with NSW Health on the Smoke-Free Environment Act 2000 relating to signage and  the illegal act of smoking in certain public areas, as previously indicated.

Blacktown City Council is the largest populated council in NSW and is as of today Council Officers are taking appropriate action in ensuring no smoking in regulated areas, in Mount Druitt which is the linchpin area to providing a healthier community and may spread to other areas of Blacktown Local Government area. This is a positive step as now they understand under The Government Act 1993, they do have a major role to play, whereas they thought they didn't. We applaud them as they work out how their new role will be  working the  new Smoke-Free Environment Act 2000.

This is what made Council change their mind, from the Smoke-Free Environment Act 2000  (and also previous blog):
 

Will there be signage to indicate where smoking is not permitted?

 

The law does not require signs to be displayed to indicate that smoking is not permitted within 4 metres of a pedestrian entrance to or exit from apublic building. This is due to the diverse range of public buildings that are captured under the law. 

 

The law allows the Ministry of Health to work with Local Councils and other Government departments to develop signage appropriate to the different public buildings.

 

Response From Council Officer is:

I have written to Westfield Mount Druitt to ask them to have their security monitor the area. I have also referred the matter on the tobacco information website to NSW Health.

Click here on previous blog