Since 7 January 2013, following the amendment to the Smoke-free Environment Act 2000, smoking has been banned in a number of public outdoor areas, including:

• Within 10 metres of children’s play equipment in an outdoor public place;
• In open areas of swimming pool complexes;
• In spectator areas of sports grounds or other recreational areas during organised sporting events;
• At public transport stops and stations, including the area where people gather or queue to wait for the bus, taxi, or light rail; and
• Within 4 metres of a pedestrian access point to a public building.

The new laws focus on selecting public outdoor settings that are often frequented by children and families, or can be crowded, or where people have limited opportunity to avoid second hand smoke.