Illegal billboard comes down today

Auckland City will today remove an illegal billboard from the corner of Greenlane and Great South Roads.

The enforced removal follows months of correspondence with the billboard site owner, Eyespy, which has failed to voluntarily remove the billboard from the prominent site.

“Auckland is facing a proliferation of billboards across the city,” says Councillor Glenda Fryer, Chair of the Planning and Regulatory Committee. “Council bylaws regulate the size and location of billboards and for the most part, they meet the criteria of this bylaw.”

Of the more than 600 billboard applications submitted to the council under a recent registration programme, 84 did not meet the requirements for registration.

“The owners of most sites across the city have taken a proactive and positive approach to the registration programme and have remedied the problems with their sites,” says Councillor Fryer. “However, about 20 sites are outstanding and paying little heed to council advice to obey the law.”

The Auckland City bylaw regulating billboard placement was developed in consultation with the billboard industry four years ago.

“The billboard bylaw is in place to protect the visual quality of the city, to maintain a pleasant streetscape and to reduce traffic accidents by reducing distractions for drivers,” says Councillor Fryer.

Auckland City has been working with the Communications Agencies Association of New Zealand and the Outdoor Advertising Association of New Zealand to inform media buyers and advertising agencies of the blitz on illegal billboards.

“We encourage businesses not to advertise on these sites,” says Councillor Fryer. “This is the first site that has been removed this year and others will be coming down over the next few months.”

The billboard will be removed at 2pm under an order issued by the District Court. Police will attend.

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