Hamilton electoral signs breach council bylaws

Confusion over council bylaws led to a number of Hamilton electoral signs being ruled non-compliant before the official election campaign.

Both National and Labour candidates have had to adjust or remove signage for failing to comply with the Hamilton City Council district plan before the election campaign launch on August 26.

Labour MP and Hamilton West candidate Sue Moroney said the council had been indecisive about what was allowed under the by-laws.

When Ms Moroney approached it about signs erected by National MP Tim Macindoe advertising a public meeting, she was told they did not abide by the district plan.

She was later told the signs were compliant and decided to advertise her own series of public meetings.

“This was, for the first time, council permitting that type of signage outside of the election period,” she said.

“We don’t happen to think that that’s a good look for the city but if that’s what you want then we’ll participate as well.”

But when the council realised it had “bitten off more than it could chew” it reversed the decision.

“I think the council perhaps didn’t recognise that the change in their interpretation of the district plan was going to cause the issues that it caused.”

The signs had to be altered following the first of the public meetings, and were subsequently removed.

“We were asked not to continue to advertise public meetings and we chose not to. We weren’t required to take any down,” Ms Moroney said.

National MP for Hamilton West Tim Macindoe had five signs and one double-sided commercial billboard that breached by-laws.

Signs advertising a public meeting with Prime Minister John Key were oversized and had to be altered, which meant cutting out a photo of Mr Macindoe.

And a billboard at The Base shopping centre had to be removed for being oversized and not having the appropriate building consent.

“We were surprised with the council’s decision on the ones for the prime minister’s public meeting because other National MPs had advertised meetings for the Prime Minister in their electorates using the same template so we just adapted it and no other council had objected,” Mr Macindoe said.

He had planned to capitalise on advertising before the regulated election period during which each candidate is limited to $25,000 spending.

But he said being forced to remove signage prematurely was not a complete waste of money and would have little consequence on the overall election campaign.

“I don’t know what the quantifiable value would be.

“Maybe we’ve lost a few hundred dollars value of the total advertising package, but I don’t think we’ve lost a huge amount. It’s not worrying me at all.”

The council’s proposed district plan states: “Signs that inform of a public election may be displayed up to three months before an election and must be removed prior to polling.”

And signs that advertise an event can be displayed within a period of four weeks before to three days after the event.