Signs no welcome to our city

Palmerston North community groups and event organisers will be denied the use of prime display spots for advertising signs from the end of the year, and are worried about how they will find alternatives that are so effective.

Sign farms at the Fitzherbert Bridge and Pioneer Highway are going to be uprooted as city councillors deem them ‘‘visual clutter’’.

The city council on Monday decided the parks should go by the end of December, and has asked staff to look at other ways community groups could promote their events.

The two locations have also been popular spots for candidates campaigning for elections.

Heather Philip, organiser of the Feilding Craft Markets, said the decision was ‘‘pretty stink’’.

She said she wondered why the council had not consulted before making a decision.

Community events relied heavily on billboard advertising, she said, because not everyone could be reached through radio, TV and social media advertising.

‘‘Many people find out about events by driving around and spotting a sign.’’

An Oamaru sculptor would be a new exhibitor at the market after finding out it existed by driving past a sign.

New advertiser Elizabeth Shearer is promoting a Garden Tour to raise money for Central Baptist Church.

For $168, buying the right to use the sign parks was a useful and affordable way to promote community events, she said.

‘‘People are noticing it. There is a level of recognition established.’’

While delivering posters and flyers about the tour, she said many people told her they had seen the signs and were interested to find out more.

Shearer said it would be a matter of ‘‘wait and see’’ to find out whether the council could come up with other options that worked so well.

Cr Aleisha Rutherford, who led the move to get rid of the sign parks, said they were not a good look for the image of the city.

‘‘They are probably not the best welcome at either end of the city for visitors and those returning home.

‘‘It’s a bit of visual clutter.’’ Mayor Grant Smith said it seemed to have been a good idea at the time to concentrate signs in a couple of places.

Four election sign parks were operating at each of the city’s entrances in the 1990s, but that was reduced to two in 2001.

‘‘But we can do much better, and still look after community groups.

‘‘This gives time for our staff to look at alternatives.’’

Strategy and policy manager Julie Macdonald said concern about the proliferation of signs around the city had prompted the council to consolidate them at the central city entrances.

The council had put down foundations in positions where the signs could be erected without damaging underground services.

The only dissent to closing the parks was from Cr Lorna Johnson, who said she was not happy making a decision to axe something before there was an alternative available.

Crs Leonie Hapeta and Brent Barrett abstained from voting because they will be hearing proposed changes to the District Plan affecting the allowed size and illumination of signs including digital displays in October.