INDEPENDENT NEWS

Aucklanders invited to have their say on signage and more

Published: Tue 2 Sep 2014 04:59 PM
Media release
02 September 2014
Aucklanders invited to have their say on signage in public places and more
Auckland Council and Auckland Transport are seeking feedback on a draft bylaw that will help manage the display of publicly visible signs.
The proposed Signage Bylaw will manage the display, placement and size of signs visible from the road and other public places throughout the Auckland region. It will provide for a consistent standard of signage across the region and ensure pedestrian safety and visual amenity of local areas is maintained. The new bylaw will replace the 23 different sets of rules inherited from previous councils that related to signs.
“These new bylaws will continue to allow businesses to advertise and directional signs to be provided in our town centres and other areas, while ensuring motorists and pedestrians are not distracted or impeded by poorly located or designed signs,” says Cr Calum Penrose, chair of the Regulatory and Bylaws committee.
The new bylaw is intended to continue to:
• provide for the safety of vehicular and pedestrian traffic on roads and public places by limiting obstruction and distraction caused by signage;
• protect the public from harm or damage caused by the poor maintenance or abandonment of signage;
• assist in enhancing, maintaining, and promoting the visual amenity of Auckland’s cultural character, and its built and natural environments;
• assist in enabling the economic benefits to Auckland that are provided through signage;
• assist in protecting roads and other public assets from damage or misuse.
Submissions on the proposed Signage Bylaw open on Wednesday 3 September 2014.
The bylaw is one of three recently approved by Governing Body to go out for public consultation this month as part of the council’s review of 158 bylaws, inherited from Auckland’s former legacy councils.
Submissions on proposed Stormwater and Outdoor Fire Safety bylaws will go out for public consultation from 8 September. Reports included on all of these bylaws are available on the council’s website: Governing Body.
Information on the new and proposed bylaws below:
Outdoor Fire Safety
The draft Outdoor Fire Safety bylaw will enable Auckland Council to declare a temporary total fire ban in extreme fire hazard conditions anywhere in Auckland. Extreme fire hazard can be caused by extreme weather conditions such as high temperatures and low rainfall.
The bylaw applies to several types of outdoor fires such as fireworks, braziers, barbeques, sky lanterns, traditional cooking fires, and open air fires and incinerator fires. It will determine what type of outdoor fires are allowed in urban and rural areas and the general conditions that must be met when lighting an outdoor fire.
Stormwater
Auckland Council has introduced a draft Stormwater Bylaw to ensure best practice is followed in the design and building of stormwater structures. It will require private developers and council to comply with minimum standards under a new Code of Practice. The new bylaw replaces three former legacy Stormwater Bylaws and several district plans and is due to come into effect 1 December 2014.
For more information and to make a submission on the proposed Signage, Stormwater or Outdoor Fire Safety bylaws go toshapeauckland.co.nz
Ends
Editors Notes:
Signage bylaw
It should be noted that the bylaw does not apply to specific signs covered by the Unitary Plan such as heritage signs, billboards or signage that is part of a comprehensive development of a site. Election signs are also covered separately under the Election Signage Bylaw 2013.
The bylaw does propose to cover the following types of signage:
• portable signs (sandwich boards)
• free standing signs, posters and banners
• veranda signage and window signage
• signs advertising commercial sexual services
Submission information
Signage Bylaw: submissions open 3 September and close 4pm, 3 October.
Outdoor Fire Safety: submissions open 8 September and close 4pm, 8 October.
Stormwater: submissions open 8 September and close 4pm, 8 October.
A copy of the full proposed bylaws, summary and submission form can be found:
o Online at shapeauckland.co.nz
o Call our customer services team on 09 301 0101 and at council libraries/service centres

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