Bans on cigarette smoking around Canberra could be extended as the ACT government looks to strengthen exclusion zones in public places.
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In budget estimates hearings on Wednesday, Health Minister Simon Corbell said smoking bans could be extended under possible new legislative powers. He ruled out creating special areas for smokers to light up at the city's public hospital campuses.
Smoking can be banned in defined exclusion zones under existing territory laws, including in and around schools, hospitals and some retail areas.
Mr Corbell said groups of smokers in public places outside the zones were "unsightly", but conceded the government had no further legal powers to stop smokers from lighting nearby.
"We don't actually have that legislative power in a more wide-ranging way," he told the hearing. "We have it for specific areas but not for example just on a street verge somewhere."
New legislation could stop smoking in areas around Canberra Hospital, including on adjacent roads, footpaths and in some nearby garden areas.
Currently all ACT Health buildings and land are declared smoke-free. The ban on smoking in outdoor eating and drinking places and underage events came into effect in December 2010, further strengthening 2003 laws.
"Canberra Hospital has gone smoke-free as a campus in its entirety. People have worked out where the perimeter of the campus is and have chosen to go onto territory land on Yamba Drive [to smoke].
"I envisage there will be a legislative power proposed for endorsement by the Assembly that will allow us to deal with those issues," Mr Corbell said.
Bans on smoking benefited public health and the government would not consider the creation of special areas for smokers, Mr Corbell said. Similar smoking rooms or areas are used in other jurisdictions and overseas, including in airports.
"It acts as an added incentive to people who are smoking to realise there is some inconvenience in that," Mr Corbell said.
"The position of the government is that smoking is not good for your health and people should not be smoking anywhere on the hospital grounds."
On Thursday, Children and Young People Minister Mick Gentleman and Community Services Minister Yvette Berry will appear before the committee.
