Writing on the wall for illegal billboards

The Auckland City Council showed a tough new stance on illegal billboards yesterday when it removed a large sign at a busy intersection.

The target was an oversized billboard on the corner of Greenlane and Great South roads advertising Volkswagen Golfs. The removal brought to a head an issue that the council has been grappling with for at least four years when it developed its bylaw in consultation with the billboard industry.

The council has warned that this is just the beginning and says about 20 other billboards around the city will have to come down.

The city faced a proliferation of billboards, the chairwoman of the council's planning and regulatory committee, Glenda Fryer, said.

"It is quite serious. I think people are sick of illegal billboards and billboards in general creating that visual clutter, especially on main roads where there are a lot of distractions.

"Having more visual distractions when they are illegal is something motorists want less of."

The 12m by 3m billboard removed yesterday extended beyond the security shop building on which it was erected. The council had a District Court order for the job and said the billboard did not meet a bylaw regulating size and location.

Several workmen, two small trucks, a crane, a number of power tools - and a hand saw - were needed to get the job done. The police were meant to attend because the billboard was being removed from private property, but were busy searching for a person reported to be missing.

The billboard site owner Eyespy would not voluntarily remove the billboard, understood to cost about $7000 a month.

Mrs Fryer said the sign's removal would be paid for from ratepayer funds, but if Eyespy wanted the sign back it would have to pay for it.

She said there had been industry consultation and people had been uncertain about the new bylaw but they now knew the rules.

"It is very disappointing that some irresponsible parts of the industry do not act lawfully.

"They have certainly known for some months that they were contravening the new bylaw and some of them old bylaws as well.

"Because we are registering all the billboards that were put up under previous bylaws we have found some that were put up illegally.

"You might say 'Why haven't we done anything for all these years?' "

She said more enforcement officers were needed and she would push for more funding to tackle illegal activities around the city.

"The public gets sick and tired of a number illegal activities around the city and this is just one of them."

Duncan Harris, the chairman of the Outdoor Advertising Association, said the billboard did not comply with the council bylaw and registration designed to create a level playing field.

"I think it's great they have removed the sign. I am a bit disappointed the operator did not take it down himself but that is his call."

Attempts to contact Eyespy for comment were unsuccessful.