Auckland City Council: poster-children of redundancy

Just read the proposed posters bylaw from the Auckland City Council in the local City Scene newsletter. That in itself is not extraordinary (apart from the authoritarian presumption asserted), but the gross failure in delivering timely, fulsome and accurate public information online in regard to what this bylaw change is all about is extraordinary. At this crucial time - when every group is under scrutiny as the merger approaches - it looks like the ACC is failing at consultation and communications - that they aren't taking it seriously. Maybe they will put more online tomorrow when the official consultation begins; but it doesn't look that way.

The nature of the changes sounds as though it is in reaction to the more restrictive billboards bylaw - the outdoor advertising market will move to using bigger posters on sites and will end up as something akin to billboards if nothing is done - I can understand that, but the control of posters on private property sounds very iffy to me. Restricting what can and cannot go up on ever increasing council controlled sites is also potentially nefarious. However they don't want us seeing the exact details as it transpires.

Posters - for events at least - provide a proof of vitality as well as public information. I suppose the bylaw is directed against non-event commercial advertising in the nature of a billboard, rather than designed to stop public notices being pasted up on private property. It better be. They seem to be buying more trouble for themselves here - first it was the bar/drinking changes that upset everyone, the Queen's Wharf design process has imploded and now this poster stuff. I don't know whether it will be the next crisis or not either because the council are making it as difficult as possible to get to the information.

Can't find it on the ACC website front page - poor comms. Do I have to type it out from the newsletter? This is the "Your Council" page - it's up there in the contents bar at the top.No consultation/submission information though - and nothing on sign bylaw. Nothing under "Plans, policies and reports" either.Nothing under council meetings and members. "Different ways to have your say" - but you can't have your say on it if they hide it like this. And then in to "find out more" brings us to "Have your say" - current consultations. And then you go into "Bylaws" and finally:And... this is it? This doesn't have any information or even confirmation on what is being consulted on - just a standard form.

This is the worst comms and marketing ever. What a total fail. A dozen clicks later and it tells you to go look in the fucking City Scene - the cheeky pricks. So I'm now - in this age of the internet - going to have to type out several hundred words from the newsletter? And when I type in the website they mention in the City Scene just in case: www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/bylaw, we get:The comms and marketing department - and the whole Auckland City Council for that matter - is Error 404. Their file cannot be found. The question is can the ATA sack them for being useless bastards - right now - or does Mr Ford & Co. have to wait for next year to make them redundant? Seriously.

So running on instinct and gut feeling at this stage, back to submissions: click "public notice" - and there it is, finally, Amendment of the Signs Bylaw 2007. Joy.

Click. Oh, hang on....

From City Scene, published on 8 November 2009

Summary of information

So, no extra information. What a gawdawful fucking mission that was. Hopeless. At least I'm not going to have to type it all out I suppose. The relevant parts:

An increase in the size of directional (from 0.2m2 to 0.28m2) and real estate signs (from 1m2 to 1.5m2) are intended to assist with the marketing of properties during the current downturn in the housing market. The permitted duration of display of real estate signs is to be increased from three to six months and real estate signs are to be removed within seven days if properties are withdrawn from the market.

- another cheeky grab by the real estate egotists. The right wingers were quite prepared to give them larger signage last time, and I'll bet they'll see nothing wrong with this grab either. "It's only temporary" is as weak as "it's a downturn" as an excuse.

The council also intends to amend the provisions in the bylaw in relation to poster boards. The council intends to provide a clearer definition of the purpose of poster sites in the bylaw as part of an overall system of providing for the management of posters. The council intends restricting poster boards to advertising forthcoming artistic, cultural, religious, community or sporting events. This restriction will not stop sponsors from including their branding on posters advertising events.

The proposed amendment of the bylaw as part of an overall system of providing for the management of posters will have the effect of tightening the controls over postering on private land while facilitating the provision for postering opportunities on public land, all within a clearer definition under the bylaw as to the purpose of posters and the use of poster sites. By restricting the contents of poster boards in this manner, the original purpose of poster boards is clarified and the council will limit demand for poster boards on private and public land.

Well this could go horribly: whoring out public, council-owned sites to ads and defacto billboards on the one hand (like they have done with the quasi-privatised bus shelters); and restricting private property rights on the other hand by "tightening the controls over postering on private land."

Bylaw No. 27 - Signs 2007And here's the fascism - already in evidence, so who knows how they plan to make it more restrictive:

A Poster may not: be displayed on private land except on the inside of a window of an occupied shop or on a dedicated poster board or poster site approved by the council and with the approval of the land owner or occupier

The Council has to approve where you can stick posters. I can't quite believe it is that plainly fascist - but there it is. The Auckland City Council purports to be able to ban posters too - therefore - that are not in their approved sites. I don't care so much about public area restrictions, but the blanket one on all private property not approved for it seems prima facie in breach of our Bill of Rights provisions relating to freedom of expression. Only posters inside of an occupied shop are allowed except for these designated, approved poster sites/boards.

If you would like to tell the council where they can stick their poster bylaw: click here. 10 December is the submissions deadline.