Multi-unit residents in NSW have started an online petition to NSW government to protect strata residents including children from smoke drift in multi-unit dwellings – and define tobacco smoke in strata legislation as a nuisance and hazard. The petition initiated by NSW multi-unit residents is at  http://www.communityrun.org/petitions/define-tobacco-smoke-as-a-hazard-in-nsw-strata-law

NSW Minister for Fair Trading Anthony Roberts also has submissions open until November 15 on the second stage of a strata law review, at http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/About_us/Have_your_say/Review_of_strata_and_community_scheme_laws.html – see especially p. 55.  

Residents feel tobacco smoke needs to be clearly defined as a nuisance and a physical hazard so they have clearer supported avenues to seek protection from toxic smoke – particularly to protect their children, which is often their chief concern. Health group ASH Australia reports an increasing snowball of resident complaints – clearly there’s a great deal of preventable exposure happening in multi-units, including of children. Health evidence and more background at ASH webpage  http://www.ashaust.org.au/lv4/housing.htm  

ASH was among those making input to the first stage of the review – their submission outlining the issue is at http://www.ashaust.org.au/lv4/StrataForumNSW2012.htm. ASH and many health, child protection, social equity and other partners intend making similar submissions to this round. If reform of strata law is achieved in NSW giving more protection from smoke drift, it’s likely to have a flow-on to other jurisdictions, so residents are calling for as many submissions as possible. Smoke drift was the no.1 complaint raised by people in the first round of the review – the government needs to be firmly assured this was no fluke.