Signage compliance in the Queenstown Lakes District is taking a turn for the positive as the council continues to take a firm stance over its new Signage Bylaw.

After extensive consultation with the business community, in the wake of the public bylaw process and letters of warning, the council had commenced enforcement action, initially against seven commercial retail shops at Queenstown.

"Fortunately six out of seven businesses have now chosen to both comply with the bylaw and pay the council's enforcement costs. It's a pretty strong signal from the business community that compliance is the only way forward on this one," Mr Field said.

Elected council members had given a clear message that the district signage provisions were to be implemented to the letter.

"We are continuing to work with other businesses in Queenstown and Wanaka in that pursuit," Mr Field said. Businesses needed to be proactive in checking the status of their own signage, including any new signage.

"Given the council's undertaking to clean up signage, commercial premises should think very carefully before spending money on non compliant signage," Mr Field said.

And that included sandwich boards.

"These are also coming under scrutiny. It's quite simple, if it's not on private land, it's not permitted. We have removed a good number from Camp Street and plan to widen the circle," Mr Field said.

Any business with a sandwich board required a permit or resource consent. Permitted sandwich boards had to be more than 300mm within a private property.

"Meanwhile they need to be off the street. If retailers don't remove them, having been given fair warning, then the council has the authority to seize them and charge the retailer for the cost of that enforcement and that's what we will do," Mr Field said.

He was concerned that despite publicity over the bylaw and the clean up of boards in Camp Street, there was a growing proliferation of the boards elsewhere in the district, sparking complaints from residents and visitors.

"Nobody wants to see our retailers out of pocket. I can only encourage them to take a good look at their own property, the signage requirements for the district and get advice before shelling out for unusable signage" Mr Field said.

ENDS

For further information please contact Duncan Field 03 4410499.

By: Sarah