Orange City council bans smoking in city centre
Orange City council bans smoking in city centre
ORANGE is introducing Australia's toughest anti-smoking rules, banning lighting up virtually anywhere in the town's central business district.
From June, Orange City Council will ban smoking within 70m of the Orange City Centre, Orange Central, and Orange Arcade shopping areas, Post Office Lane, Orange Base Hospital and any council-owned buildings, car parks and playgrounds.
Rangers will be empowered to hit smokers with $110 fines.
Greens councillor Jeremy Buckingham, who put forward the anti-smoking proposal, said it "empowers the community to ask people to refrain from smoking".
"We have Australia's first stormwater harvesting here in Orange and cigarette butts are a major contaminant," he said.
"We've had a lot of support from the community and the Cancer Council. This isn't about being punitive; it's about creating a social pressure to ask smokers to smoke in areas where other people aren't around."
The move has split the community.
Mayor John Davis, who voted against the move, said the town would become a "national laughing stock".
"It is unworkable," he said.
"The whole city precinct, it just can't work - smoking is not illegal."
Residents Loren Craig, 25, and Naomi Page, 28, are outraged.
"No, I don't think it's right at all. It's fair enough to ban smoking in shops or where people are eating," Ms Page said.
"The council, they've got a lot more to worry about. If I was fined I would fight it, definitely."
Ms Craig said she would also refuse to pay a $110 fine for smoking in public.
"This council has just said its OK for people to have their animals at outdoor dining areas, which I think it's a massive contradiction," she said.
"I'd prefer to sit with smokers than with someone's dog.
"There are much bigger things for Orange council to be focusing on - like water. We're still on stage-five restrictions here."
Smokers are also under siege from the Rudd Government's new cigarette price hike, which will see smokers paying up to $20 per packet.
However, both women said the price hike would not stop them smoking.
"The price is going up too much - it will mean I won't give as many out to my friends," Ms Page said.
"Rising prices isn't going to help with health care," Ms Craig added.
Fellow smoker Josh Cooper, 21, is also angered by the tough stance on smokers taken by the federal Government and his local council.
'It's ridiculous because it's outdoors," Mr Cooper said. "On the street, outdoors, they can't tell us what to do. They can't regulate on the street.
"I think they're just taking it way too far with the pricing and now with this. It's just too far."
Mr Cooper said he would not buy as many cigarettes when the price soars to $20 per packet.
