In a last ditch attempt to reclaim the pedestrian laneway for the average shopper, Orange City Council rangers will patrol the area and issue anybody caught lighting up with a hefty $200 penalty notice.

The move has been designed to shatter what has been described by Cr Reg Kidd as “intimidating congregations of hoodlums, ferals and drug dealers” who gather in the area to intimidate local business owners and customers.

Most likely reflecting community sentiment, the decision to issue $200 on the spot fines has been well supported by some councillors but labelled impractical and discriminatory by others.

Outgoing deputy mayor Pam Ryan and Cr Jeremy Buckingham slammed the move, which was the final decision made by the council before elections on September 13.

“What we are doing here is making smoking synonymous with anti-social behaviour and I really don’t think people will be pleased that we are making that assumption,” Cr Ryan said.

Cr Buckingham told the meeting the $200 fines would be difficult to issue and would not help reduce anti-social behaviour.

“It’s totally impractical. We will send our rangers out there to fine these people, they will step one metre outside the zone before they get handed the penalty notice and what happens then? Do they still get fined?” Cr Buckingham asked.

Rejecting the concerns of the five councillors who voted against the ban, Cr Reg Kidd remained adamant council needed to smash a “ring of anti-social behaviour taking hold of the area”, even telling other stunned councillors he had personally witnessed people around the Post Office dealing drugs and smoking marijuana.

“It’s not Winfield or Benson and Hedges some of them are smoking that’s for sure,” he said.

“People are swapping drugs, spitting, swearing, intimidating the elderly, the list goes on and on. When are we going to get out heads out of the sand and acknowledge there is a problem there,” he said.

Orange’s new CCTV surveillance system will monitor activities around the Post Office Lane area 24 hours a day, seven days a week but will likely not be used to identify people ignoring the smoking ban.

Gloria Jeans coffee shop customers who use the businesses outdoor dining tables will be exempt from the ban.

Have your say - What do you think about the decision to ban smoking in Post Office Lane? Email bevan.shields@ruralpress.com with your thoughts