Billboard bylaw breakthrough

The Property Council was among stakeholders concerned the draft by-law would cost “millions of dollars worth of equity to property owners”.

Connal Townsend, the chief executive of the Property Council, said it supports a compromise solution apparently brokered between the Outdoor Advertising Association of New Zealand (OAANZ), and Action Hobson councillors Christine Caughey and Richard Simpson.

“The compromise agreement – which we will take to all city councillors, the mayor and all other interested parties – will improve enforcement of the rules that govern the outdoor advertising industry; protect heritage sites, quality architecture, and good urban design; while maintaining the right of the business sector to deliver commercial messages to consumers,” Harris, Caughey and Simpson say.

The compromise proposal to be promoted by Action Hobson and OAANZ involves:
·    The withdrawal of the current bylaw proposal, with its blanket ban
·    Making non-registered billboards illegal and applying tougher enforcement procedures and penalties
·    The establishment of a joint council/industry commission to better regulate outdoor advertising in the CBD, including the removal of billboards on designated heritage buildings and tighter regulations on their use on other buildings with architectural merit and within defined character areas
·    A commission review process to deal with public complaints and concerns within seven days.