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NSW Health secretary Susan Pearce can also apply to the Local Court to make a long-term closure order of up to 12 months if satisfied a relevant breach has occurred. As well as the new closure powers, the government’s changes to the Public Health (Tobacco) Act have increased the maximum penalties for anyone caught selling products without a licence to $660,000 for individuals, and $880,000 for a corporation. Speaking to ABC Sydney on Tuesday morning, Premier Chris Minns took aim at the federal government’s excise tax on tobacco, which he has repeatedly blamed for the rise in black market tobacco and vaping. The latest data from the Australian Tax Office valued the tobacco black market at almost $3.2 billion in 2023-24. However, the ATO warned that the real figure could be far higher, saying its own numbers were -“unreliable”.
