Push for Auckland Council to speed up smokefree decision

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A bylaws panel will push the Auckland Council to speed up its decision on giving legal bite to the region's smokefree policy.

The policy largely relies on the voluntary compliance of smokers, who are asked not to smoke at parks and many other public places.

The panel, which has heard public submissions on the merging of eight street trading bylaws, on Friday rejected the call by the Cancer Society and others to ban smoking in outdoor dining areas rented from the council. This was despite the support expressed for the society's call by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.

However the panel recommended the council bring forward the review of its smokefree policy and the question of making a bylaw to ban smoking in parks, dining areas, beaches and many other public outdoor places.

Currently the review is scheduled to occur in 2016, but the Cancer Society said after the panel's meeting that it was now looked likely the review would start early next year.

The panel acknowledged it had received numerous submissions advocating outdoor dining areas be made smokefree.

"... the panel felt keenly the passion of the submitters on this topic and the need to expedite the smokefree policy," said panel chairwoman Denise Krum. The council needed to look comprehensively at a bylaw approach to ban smoking in the whole range of public places and allow the public a say on that.