SMOKING is now banned in all foreshore, beach, and reserve areas across the Kingston municipality.
Tobacco product and e-cigarette use was banned by council this month. Fines of $500 can be applied to people who defy the smoking ban.
Council undertook a period of community consultation about the ban earlier this year. Kingston mayor Georgina Oxley said that local residents were “overwhelmingly in support of the introduction of smoke-free areas in Kingston.”
“The feedback we received is the community wants to see smoking banned along our foreshore areas and in our reserves to reduce passive smoking and keep our beaches and bay free of butts,” she said. “If you’ve been down to the beach and picked up rubbish like our wonderful local beach patrol groups you’ll know that there’s a huge number of cigarette butts collected each week that can end up in our beautiful bay.
“The smoke-free zones will also help ensure the community is protected from passive smoking, no one enjoying our beautiful foreshore areas and reserves should have to be exposed to other people’s second hand smoke or vape clouds.”
Cr Oxley also said that council is considering extending the ban to local shopping strips.
Earlier this year, council introduced a 24-hour drinking ban on the Mordialloc foreshore. Booze bans also apply in foreshore areas in Carrum and Chelsea (“Booze ban around the clock”, The News, 12/2/20).
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 9 September 2020