Candidate fined $600 over signs on own building

PROMOTING his candidacy has cost one Dunedin City Council hopeful $600 in fines.

Council community and planning group manager Nicola Pinfold confirmed yesterday Russell Lund was issued infringement and abatement notices for noncompliant election signage on his Loan and Mercantile building, at 33 Thomas Burns St, and signage at 186 Main South Rd, Green Island.

‘‘While we appreciate the desire of election candidates to promote their candidacy, the district plan places restrictions on election signage in order to protect the amenity and character of the city, as well as to ensure that signs don’t cause safety issues for road users,’’ she said.

The council first raised the issue with Mr Lund on September 13 and again on Friday last week.

He was written to and called again on Wednesday, and the infringement and abatement notices were issued on Thursday.

Last month, the Otago Daily

Times reported the Dunedin businessman said he and the council disagreed over whether the signs advertising the benefits of living in his building resembled his election signs, which had ‘‘similar themes’’.

Mr Lund said he would remove the signs this weekend.

‘‘While I can say with complete accuracy that the large ‘Lund 2019 Heritage Housing Trails Less Debt’ building signs are not campaign signage, but are about the specific qualities of my apartments, equally the DCC can make the argument that they are.

‘‘It’s not worth going to the Environment Court to argue about. The city has bigger issues to focus on than my building signs.’’

Last month, a boat carrying signage for Mr Lund, Hilary Calvert and Cr Lee Vandervis, which the Otago Regional Council called noncompliant, was driven into a sea wall by high winds.