Illegal Commercial Signage Causing Issues

The increasing numbers of commercial signs around Ruapehu that do not conform to the District Plan or the Resource Management Act are causing issues for Council compliance staff.

Ruapehu District Council (RDC) Chief Executive, Peter Till, said that all signage must comply with the District Plan and the Resource Management Act.

“Many people do not also understand that it is the owner of the land or building on which the sign is placed who is responsible for ensuring the sign is legal.”

“Building and land owners have the responsibility to ensure that all signs on their land or building comply with relevant legislation even if they are just renting the space to another business owner for their sign,” he said.

“Council staff has been involved in discussions with a number of business owners recently about illegal signage.”

“Council has no wish to restrict commercial activity or disrupt anyone’s business however all signs must be conform to the relevant regulations.”

Mr Till noted that sign owners who have had their signs up for some time may be assuming that they comply with council regulations, however, the compliance team have noted quite a few signs around the district that do not comply and some of these have been up for a while.

“Council is planning to put on presentations for business owners on what is allowed without a resource consent and what does require consent,” he said.

“In the past Council has held a ‘sign amnesty’ which allowed sign owners the opportunity to ensure their sign is legal and if not to rectify the situation and to avoid disruption to their business before any enforcement action is taken.”

“In the interim as the rules for signs vary depending on their characteristics such as location, temporary or permanent, size, etc, sign owners who have any questions or concerns or who just want to confirm the legal status of their sign should get in touch with their local Council office.”

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