Blue Mountains Mayor, Cr Mark Greenhill, says a new request by the Australian Vaccination risks Network (AVN) to use public land to disseminate dangerous misinformation about vaccinations should be refused.
Cr Greenhill said previous resolutions of Blue Mountains City Council, in July and October 2020, relating to anti-vaccination groups still stand.
He will take another Mayoral Matter of Urgency to the August Council Meeting stating that a new request from AVN to park their tour bus at a public park in the Blue Mountains in September should be refused.
"We are still in the midst of a global pandemic and more than 12,500 Australians have died from COVID-19," Cr Greenhill said. "Cases are again currently surging and globally we have seen more than 6 million deaths.
"We will not allow the AVN or anyone to use public lands to disseminate misinformation.
"It is a view that is not based in scientific fact. This is not about freedom - it's about science. When it comes to vaccines, as with climate change, we defer to science."
The request from AVN stated: "I wish to seek permission to use parking at a public park within your Council on the 3rd September, 2022. Our organisation is the Australian Vaccination risks Network Inc and we are planning to tour through your area. The Vaxxed Bus has been touring Australia for 2years now."
Gr Greenhill said that he expected the Mayoral Matter of Urgency, that will go before the 30 August Council Meeting, to be passed by the Council.
It will state that Council:
• Notes that the dissemination of dangerous misinformation about public health matters challenges the gains made over the twentieth century to eradicate diseases.
• Notes that to achieve herd-immunity, 95 per cent of the population must be vaccinated to protect those vulnerable people who cannot.
• Notes that antivaccination campaigns put at risk those vulnerable members of our community.
• Acknowledges that COVID-19 has provided a salient example of how dangerous a disease can be without a vaccine.
• Agrees that science must be put first and misinformation about vaccines must be countered with balanced information, especially when so many people are anxious about the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I believe any request by anti-vaccination groups to hold events in the Blue Mountains should be refused."
