McKillop St to become the latest smoke-free zone

By Kaylah-Joelle Baker

McKillop St is the latest area in the CBD where clean air will be given priority after the City of Melbourne approved a smoking ban.

Situated between Bourke and Little Collins streets, a plan for the narrow laneway to become a smoke-free zone was discussed by councillors at the Future Melbourne Committee meeting on October 19. 

The motion to ban smoking in McKillop St received unanimous support from councillors, and Lord Mayor Sally Capp expressed confidence in the decision, and the support it had received from the community. 

“We put the proposal to the local community and 90 per cent told us they supported McKillop St going smoke-free,” she said. 

The latest ban is part of the City of Melbourne’s smoke-free policy, which was endorsed by councillors in July this year and marked the first framework of its kind to come out of an Australian capital city council. 

The policy aims to reduce smoking in the city through reinforcing smoke-free areas, while educating and helping people in the community to quit. 

McKillop St has become the 13th smoke-free zone alongside others including Bourke Street Mall, QV Melbourne, The Tan and Princes Park running tracks and Howey Place.

Hopeful that the awareness of smoke-free zones would aid in supporting “people who are trying to quit”, the council’s health, wellbeing and belonging portfolio lead Cr Dr Olivia Ball welcomed the initiative •