Sign of the times: Candidates warned on corflutes
Council chief executive Tim Baker has issued a stern warning to candidates, saying the city will seize and impound their election signage if it is placed in dangerous locations.
Campaign corflutes have been appearing on fences and street light poles across the city, with just five weeks remaining until polling day.
The number of corflutes will increase dramatically in coming weeks.
But Mr Baker warned any found in inappropriate locations would be removed.
“On the Gold Coast, we allow candidates to place election signage on public land during this period, but we are asking common sense be applied and that safety remains a priority,” he said.
“We cannot have signage obscuring the view of motorists or too close to the kerb. Signage that is not voluntarily relocated upon request will be impounded, and the signage held in secure storage for collection.
“Impounded signs that are not collected within 28 days of the date of impound are disposed of appropriately.”
Excluded locations for signs on public land include council facilities, bathing resources or foreshore areas. They are not allowed to be placed on roundabouts, traffic islands or too close to kerbs or on light poles, street signs and fences.
The signs must be removed by March 23 – seven days after the March 16 election.
“City officers will engage with candidates or their representatives regarding relocating or removing signs that are considered to represent an imminent or immediate safety risk,” Mr Baker said.
The council boss said most candidates followed protocol, but he said that everyone needed to do the right thing during the election period.
Mr Baker, who will preside over the swearing-in of new councillors in late March or April for the first time since arriving on the Gold Coast in 2022, said that during an election period political advertising on private land was exempt from the requirement of an advertising device licence.