More smoke-free lanes for the city

The City of Melbourne is to designate two more CBD laneways as non-smoking zones.

Councillors on September 4 voted to add Fulham Place and Collins Way to the already eight existing smoke-free zones.

The council says most of the 2139 people it either spoke to or surveyed supported the proposal to add the two new laneways to the list. It says 68 per cent of the 57 local businesses it spoke to supported the move.

So far, the council has declared The Causeway, Howey Place, Block Place, Equitable Place, Goldsbrough Lane, QV Melbourne, The Tan and Princes Park running tracks as no-smoking areas. It says it has issued 11 infringements to smokers in these areas since 2013.

Fulham Place runs north off Flinders Lane between Queen and Elizabeth streets.  Collins Way runs south off Little Collins St between Queen and Elizabeth streets.

Council officers say they will build further awareness of the project, via a comprehensive communications plan which will be developed.

Only Cr Philip Le Liu voted against the motion, saying his family ran a tobacconist and he was sensitive to the rights of smokers.  

“Some of the rights of some of the smokers have been taken away,” he said. “If they do want to smoke, they should have the right to.”