about time.. what a wonderful announcement!
http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/safety/no-smoking-nsw-national-parksNo smoking in NSW national parks
Did you know that 7 billion cigarette butts are littered across Australia every year? This puts lives and property at risk, ruining beaches, spoiling the beauty of our parks, and endangering wildlife.
NSW national parks are now no smoking areas. The smoking ban applies to almost all areas throughout NSW national parks and reserves, including picnic areas, campgrounds, beaches, lookouts, walking tracks, and on national park roads. The ban doesn't apply to some commercial lease or licence areas, or to private residences located within a park.
The smoking ban in NSW national parks and reserves will:
Reinforce government initiatives to reduce smoking in NSW
Reduce the effects of passive smoking, particularly in high visitor use areas.
Reduce the risk of accidental bushfires from discarded cigarettes
Reduce the spread of hazardous chemicals found in cigarettes, including arsenic and lead, in our precious environments.
Focus on community education, with on-the-spot fines issued only as a last resort.
NPWS is committed to helping to reduce smoking. We also want to reduce fire risk and littering in our parks and reserves. With your help, we can keep our parks safe and healthy for generations to come.
Want to find out more? Please read our frequently asked questions about no smoking in NSW national parks.
http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/no-smoking-faqsNo smoking in NSW national parks
Frequently asked questions
Why have you banned smoking in NSW national parks?
NSW national parks receive over 30 million visits a year. Banning smoking in national parks will further increase the community's enjoyment of, and safety in, these green open spaces.
The smoking ban, which has commenced with immediate effect, will reduce littering in national parks and reduce the risk of accidental fire started by unextinguished cigarette butts.
The ban also has obvious health benefits and will continue to ensure NSW is a world leader in phasing out smoking in public places.
Where does the ban apply?
Smoking is now banned in almost all park areas, including picnic areas, campgrounds, beaches, lookouts, walking tracks, and on roads in NSW national parks.
The ban will be governed under the National Parks and Wildlife Regulation 2009 by placing no smoking signs at entrances to parks and at popular visitor areas in parks.
Smoking is already banned in certain outdoor areas under the Smoke-Free Environment Act 2000. This ban applies near children's play equipment, public swimming pools, sports grounds, public transport stops, and within 4 metres of the entrance to a public building. The last of these bans – in outdoor dining areas – will come into force in July 2015.
Where does it not apply?
The ban doesn't apply to areas subject to a commercial lease or licence, such as ski resorts or hotels. The ban also doesn't apply to private residences located within a park.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) will work closely with leaseholders and licensees to provide assistance to minimise the litter and fire risk associated with recreational smoking. To this end, NPWS will support leaseholders and licensees in implementing smoking bans within lease/licence areas, where this is requested.
How will this ban benefit the environment?
Litter surveys confirm cigarette butts form over a third (35%) of the measured litter in NSW.
NSW has committed to having the lowest per capita litter count in Australia by 2016. This equates to reducing littered items by around 40% by 2016.
Cigarette butts contain hazardous chemicals such as nicotine, cadmium, arsenic and lead that are partially filtered out during smoking. When a butt is discarded, these chemicals leach into the environment, contaminating our waterways and land.
Cigarette butts contain over 4,000 chemicals, including 43 known carcinogens such as ammonia, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and arsenic.
Cigarette butts are made from cellulose acetate, a form of plastic. They aren't made from cotton wool or paper.
Cigarette butts can also be ingested by our wildlife, wash into waterways, and spoil the beauty of our natural places.
Will the ban prevent bushfires?
Around 50% of bushfires in NSW national parks have a suspicious or unknown cause.
In Victoria, discarded cigarette butts are estimated to cause about 25 bushfires a year in parks and forests.
An unextinguished butt can smoulder for up to 3 hours.
Banning smoking will help reduce a source of bushfire risk, keeping park visitors and local communities safer.
How will the ban be enforced?
NPWS will concentrate on working with the NSW Government on community education campaigns and peer pressure as a priority.
No smoking signs will be erected in visitor use areas and at major park entrances, and no smoking messaging will appear on visitor publications and the NPWS website.
On-the-spot fines will be issued as a last resort and only to repeat offenders or until the ban is well understood by the community.
Will park rangers have to enforce the ban?
The initiative will focus on community education, with on-the-spot fines used only as a last resort.
When does the ban begin?
The ban on smoking in NSW national parks has commenced with immediate effect.
The ban will initially focus on some of the state's better-known parks, such as Royal National Park, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Blue Mountains National Park, Kosciuszko National Park and Sydney Harbour National Park. Enforcement and signage declaring the ban will be phased in for all parks in NSW over the next 6-12 months.
What fines will apply?
You can be fined $250 under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act for throwing a cigarette butt from a car.
Under the Rural Fires Act 1997, you can be fined $660 for throwing a lit cigarette butt, match or other ‘incandescent material’. In a total fire ban, the fine is doubled to $1320.
Under the National Parks and Wildlife Regulation, you can be fined $300 for smoking where the ban applies.
