Smokefree outdoor pavement dining

Outdoor pavement dining areas are one of the public spaces designated as smokefree and vapefree in our Smokefree Outdoor Public Places Policy (PDF 296.1 KB). 

This is part of our work to raise a smokefree generation by making smoking less visible in our public places where young people spend their time. This also applies to e-cigarettes (vaping) as we also want to raise a vapefree generation.

If your business offers outdoor pavement dining, your licence to use the pavement now requires you to:

• actively promote the smokefree message through signage
• remove ashtrays.

There is strong public support for making outdoor public places in Hutt City smokefree. In our yearly Citizen's Panel Survey:

• 89% of people that responded supported the city becoming increasingly smokefree.
• 84% of people indicated that they get frustrated when people smoke near them when dining outside at cafes or restaurants.

100% Smokefree cafes

A number of cafes in Lower Hutt have chosen to support our policy by going completely smokefree. This makes their private outdoor dining spaces smokefree as well.

Ripe Coffee Company smokefree pioneers for many years. Cate and Jason Hall are passionate about a smokefree Lower Hutt. They run Ripe Coffee Company and have three 100% smokefree cafes in Lower Hutt.

Days Bay Pavilion Café goes 100% smokefree.  Owners Jodene and Angus Onslow-Osborne make their café a healthier environment for their staff and customers.