Smoking ban introduced for Bayside beaches
No ifs or butts, smoking will be banned across all Bayside beaches.
From June, a smoking ban will apply to the sand areas of all Bayside beaches, including Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary and surrounds, and the Brighton Dunes, following the installation of no-smoking signs.
Once the ban is applied anyone smoking on a Bayside beach could face a $200 Infringement Notice penalty or a fine of up $1,000, if prosecuted in Court.
The smoking ban will improve public health and wellbeing, and help to reduce the amount of cigarette butt litter which makes its way from Bayside’s beaches into Port Phillip Bay, protecting our important marine environments.
Community support
Extensive community consultation between December 2019 and February 2020 confirmed that an overwhelming 91.5% of the 1,600 people surveyed online and at local events support the ban.
“The smoking ban will help to safeguard our beautiful foreshore and improve the wellbeing of our community,” says Bayside Mayor Cr Clarke Martin.
“The introduction of a smoking ban on Bayside beaches is a great example of collaboration between Council and community. This began as an initiative by a group of volunteers, who regularly pick up butts on the weekend from the Ricketts Point carpark. I’m pleased that the smoking ban will give our Council officers more powers to help keep our beaches clean, so they can be enjoyed by all.”
Enforcement
Bayside’s beach smoking ban has been introduced under Clause 68 of Council’s Local Law No.2 ‘Neighbourhood Amenity, which is designed to maintain community safety, protect public assets and enhance neighbourhood amenity.
Beach visitors will be informed of smoke-free areas by permanent signs along foreshore paths and beach entry points. As well as this, extra bins will be provided outside smoke-free areas to ensure the public can dispose of butts correctly and safely.
Local laws officers will enforce the ban during their regular beach patrols and when investigating complaints. Officers will issue warnings for the first offence and then an Infringement Notice for any second or subsequent offence(s). However, Council hopes that smokers will respect the ban without the need for extensive enforcement.
E-cigarettes, vaping, and pipes are also banned.
Smoke-free beaches
All Bayside beaches will be designated smoke-free areas, including Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary and surrounds, and the Brighton Dunes because of their environmental significance. The dropping of cigarette butts anywhere in Bayside is a littering offence that can attract a fine of up to $661.
Smoke-free areas are marked in red on the map below.
