Wayward Whisky Way signs frustrate

The frequent theft of road signs has one street’s residents fed up and demanding their city council consider preventative measures.

The Whisky Way sign in Aokautere has gone missing six times since 2011 and a ‘‘practical solution’’ offered by one frustrated resident has not found favour with Palmerston North City Council.

Peter Butler said he was willing to construct a wall embedded with the street name after the spirited sign continuously went wandering and was taking ‘‘longer and longer’’ to replace.

Butler could not fathom why his offer was turned down by the council.

‘‘If it was set up against a fence I can see no reason why it should be an issue. It certainly wouldn’t be obtrusive. At the end of the day, we go without a sign as though we’ve been punished.’’

Since the sign was last stolen in September 2016 it has not been replaced.

It was time the council did something different and thought ‘‘outside the box’’, Butler said.

Council roading manager Jon Schwass said the council was aware there was an ongoing issue with the Whisky Way sign being stolen.

Some new subdivisions embedded street names in walls, but he said they presented a significant hazard to motorists and pedestrians – particularly if a car was to leave the road and hit the wall.

‘‘[Walls are] very costly to install and maintain and they’re usually placed over underground services, which causes issues when services need upgrading or fixing.

‘‘For these reasons we don’t see this as an effective or sustainable solution.’’

He said a stolen sign would be replaced when the council was notified one was missing, he said.

The process was also delayed because signs were ordered from a manufacturer outside of Palmerston North. ‘‘We’re looking to have the sign replaced within the next two to three weeks.’’

The council used special bolts to attach signs, which made them difficult for vandals to remove, Schwass said. ‘‘We are [also] investigating and trialling new ideas. However, it’s very hard to deter a determined thief.’’

In December, Whisky Way resident Prasika Reddy said people often had difficulty finding her house because of the missing signs.