Spotlight on Auckland city billboards

Billboard advertising is booming in Auckland city and a council registration programme is hoping to monitor their proliferation.

An Auckland City bylaw regulating billboard placement was developed in consultation with the billboard industry three years ago. Since that time a register has been developed to track all the billboards throughout the city to ensure they meet bylaw regulations.

Through the process of registration a list of illegal billboards has been compiled. This list includes billboards which have been unlawfully established and are illegal because of their size, location, lack of dispensation and/or building consent. Enforcement procedures will follow to eventually remove billboards not lawfully established.

“Billboard and sign regulations exist in Auckland city for a number of reasons,” says incident management team leader, Warren Adler. “One of these is to maintain the visual quality of the city and a pleasant streetscape. This objective sometimes runs hard up against the lucrative outdoor advertising market.”

Of the 600 plus billboard applications submitted to council for registration, close to 90 did not met the requirements.

“Owners are entitled to appeal our decisions and any appeals will be heard by an independent planning commissioner,” says Mr Adler. “In other cases owners have not sought review, and their billboards must be removed.

“While we have met some resistance to our decision-making, many of the billboard companies are working co-operatively with council,” he says.

In the meantime, the Outdoor Advertising Association of New Zealand have requested a list of illegal billboards so they can be assured of the legitimacy of the billboards they are supporting.

“We are working with the advertising industry so that they can make informed decisions about where they choose to advertise,” say Mr Adler.

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