“Where there is smoke”- but where can you have one?
We were in the Bridge Street Mall today for our regular coffee visit when we were approached by a lovely older couple who we had never met before.
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The conversation quickly turned to the no smoking rules.
They were confused on where they could smoke and were worried they my get a fine if they had a smoke either while walking around or while having a coffee, as the tables had No Smoking on them in the out door area.
They wanted a coffee and a sit down but moved on out of the mall after our chat.
Then another gentleman sat down with us, again a stranger, and wanted to know where he could have a smoke with his coffee.
I explained what I understood about the rules but he mentioned the article in The Courier the other day, where the council seemed confused about the rule in the Mall.
It was beautiful in the sun today, sitting in the mall and being approached by strangers who wanted to enjoy what the mall has to offer, but felt they could not due to the smoking saga, was quite disturbing.
The mall needs all the support it can get.
The shops are suffering as the big shopping complexes take over.
The council need to support the mall and not let it slip into the abyss, like so many malls around the country.
Ballarat city centre has so much to offer to visitors and locals alike. Out door areas need to be untilised and a coffee and a smoke in an outdoor area is legal at this point.
Come on Ballarat City Council let people enjoy the mall and help the businesses continue to survive.
Large shopping centres do not suit everyone all the time.
Promoting and supporting the mall, especially during the warmer months, surely has to be a good thing for Ballarat.
So lets sort out where people can legally smoke, have a coffee and shop (spend money) all in one place... Bridge Street Mall
Shane and Christine Malone, Brown Hill
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