Monash council seeks blanket ban after smoking law’s unintended consequence

Monash Council is going it alone in a bid to impose a blanket ban on smoking, with loopholes exposed in the Andrews Government’s crackdown.

Under the new rules, smoking is banned in outdoor areas where meals are being served.

But, as the Neil Mitchell program revealed on Tuesday, the law of unintended consequences has seen meals – not smokes – are being banned in outdoor dining areas across Melbourne as restaurants work to keep their smoking clientele happy.

They found that Oakleigh’s mall was a hot spot for the practice.

Monash councillor Geoff Lake has told The Age his council was waiting for legal advice on whether a blanket ban could be applied.