At Monday evening's General Council Meeting, Mayor Conkey called once again called for the Wagga CBD to be declared a smoke free zone, though said he would entrust the motion to the future council.

In 2015, then-councillor Greg Conkey unsuccessfully attempted to have Fitzmaurice, Baylis Streets and one block either side declared smoke free zones. Since then, new smoking regulations have seen smoke-friendly areas significantly reduced in all public places in NSW with smoking now banned within four metres of a shop entry, in all outdoor dining areas and in and around bus stops and taxi areas.

Mayor Conkey, who will retire from local council after this term, urged future councillors to take the extra step of voting in his proposed CBD ban.

"I have some serious issues with people smoking in public where members of the public can't get away where they are forced to breathe in their second hand smoke," he told the Daily Advertiser.

"To legally stand and smoke [in the CBD] is already very restrictive [but] I find it appalling that people can walk and smoke at the same time, past dining tables and past shop entrances. Provided they continue to walk they're legally allowed to do that."

At the meeting he said, "it would be much easier to declare the whole of the CBD smoke free which would overcome the confusion that currently exists."

Kayla, who preferred to only use her first name, is a smoker who works in the CBD. She said she understood Mayor Conkey's position but that the proposal to include the streets on either side of the main streets in the blanket ban would harm smokers trying to do the right thing.

"I understand wanting the main street to be smoke free but it is a little bit dramatic to include blocks on both sides," she said saying many smokers use back streets to avoid smoking around others. "Who is it affecting in the backstreets? Having the ban everywhere is a bit restrictive."

The mayor's comments were not wholly supported by other councillors.

Councillor Rod Kendall saying that while he does not support smoking as a habit, the measure would be too restrictive for smokers who work in the CBD.

"I certainly don't support smoking but I don't envy those that smoke and I believe as a society we need to allow some places for that to happen," Cr Kendall said. "To make the whole of the CBD smoke free would make it impossible for a smoker to hold down a job in the CBD so I don't support your comments even though I support the sentiment behind it, which is to protect those members of the community."

Councillor Dan Hayes suggested council look at designated public outdoor smoking areas used in places such as Japan in future debate around the topic.

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