Junk mail merchants let off fines

Two Auckland councils are granting immunity from prosecution to junk mail advertisers despite an audit showing most people still receive unwanted unaddressed mail.

The Envision New Zealand secret audit showed 80 per cent of participants still received unaddressed mail in letterboxes marked with a "no junk mail" or similar sticker.

Waitakere and North Shore cities introduced bylaws on August 1 making this an offence with fines of up to $20,000 compared with $500 before.

But under pressure from advertisers, they agreed to a moratorium on enforcing the infringement provisions to allow advertising distributors to bring in a voluntary national code of practice.

The audit into the effectiveness of the voluntary code finished last month. It confirmed earlier surveys that although stickers on letterboxes reduced the amount of unaddressed mail delivered, they did not eliminate it.

North Shore City environment chairman Tony Barker said that rather than starting to fine offenders, waste prevention officers wanted to keep working with the Marketing Association to educate the industry to obey the stickers.

Waitakere City officers will make their recommendation to the council this month about continuing the moratorium or invoking infringement clauses.

"That will be conditional on the marketing association's ability to bring groups into line with the code of practice," said solid wastes manager Jon Roscoe.

The audit identified the main offenders as real estate agents, followed by local services, The Warehouse, Countdown and Foodtown/Woolworths.

Marketing Association chief executive Keith Norris said members had followed the code for some months before it was formally launched.

"But it can't be an overnight success when you are dealing with thousands of young people who make the deliveries."

Mr Norris said the key to success was to get groups outside the membership to embrace the code. That was being pursued and improvements could be expected now the Retail Association had endorsed it. The board of the Real Estate Institute would consider its endorsement this month.

Auckland City is taking submissions on its proposed bylaw, which will make it an offence to put unsolicited mail in letterboxes marked with stickers or ones that are already full.

The bylaw will not apply to local authorities, network utilities, political advertising and community newspapers and newsletters.

City regulatory chairman Glenda Fryer said it was possible that the council would follow others in granting a moratorium.

* The Marketing Association has set up a helpline for people wanting junk mail delivery stopped. The number is 0800 111 081.