Long overdue....

[twinkles**stars]

LIGHTING up a cigarette in a national park in NSW is set to be outlawed as the State Government moves to stamp out a key cause of bushfires.

The ban will apply to picnic areas, campgrounds, beaches, lookouts and walking tracks in all 860 national parks, including the key tourist hotspot of Sydney Harbour National Park.

Motorists driving a through a national park will also be forced to stub out their cigarettes with the regulation also applying to local roads, although State and Federal roads are excluded.

The ban will only take effect from January 1 to allow for the implementation of a community education campaign before fines of $300 take effect.

Despite both fire authorities and the government acknowledging discarded cigarette butts contribute to the State’s bushfires, smoking has to date been permitted in all national parks.

[twinkles**stars]

But how will they police it?

[sandypas]

It's only common sense.

It will be hard policing it twinkles but the fine might put some off.  They need to introduce a hefty fine for tossing lit butts out of car windows as well..

[boris1gary]

Got excited when I saw this in the media, though it was about banning shooting in our NSW national parks and state forests, but no seems smoking is worse for the animals than being shot by a gun toting tosser. Maybe all the rangers that lost their jobs years ago will be re-employed to police this.....or not.

[twinkles**stars]

I too dislike sport shooting of animals.

[this-one-time-at-bandcamp]

Miscreants will be put off smoking by a fine as much as texting drivers in Oregon have been put off by a $500 fine.

The state considered banning smoking on Oregon's beaches, but determined it would be impossible to enforce.  They talked about limiting the trash, but so much is coming in from Japan, they deemed it a useless venture.

[softail-joanie]

They have no smoking in public laws around here but they don't get enforced, they have signs posted but it's just for show. In fact police who are supposed to enforce such laws themselves smoke in restricted areas, try pointing that out to them and they will blow the smoke in one's face and say "theres no one smoking here"

Smoking is rampant here, everyone does it so it's tolerated. I think it's an unwritten law that one must smoke and thats why I have so much trouble being a non smoker. Police see me not smoking and try to get me for something else, making things up if need be.

[goldenjet16]

Joanie, C'mon with all due respect.... get you for what?? Sometimes you sound like we're being ruled under tyranny.

[goldenjet16]

"I too dislike sport shooting of animals."

Hunting here in the states helps stabilize animal population. Deer for instance have a chance of starvation or being eaten by coyotes.

[lloydslights]

Hi gold...I think the word "sport" is important in twinkles post.  Sport shooting (trophy hunting) is different to culling "in our neck of the woods".  Culling is even abhorrent to some people who don't understand the reasons for it.

DEB