The Queenstown Lakes District Council is calling for feedback on a policy designed to bring consistency to finger board signage in the district, QLDC transport manager Denis Mander said.

The existing signage bylaw manages the placement of directional signage on the district’s streets. 

“Directional signage is fingerboard signs that are installed on our roads to guide visitors.  They are generally intended to indicate a facility or feature which is not obvious from a main road,” Mr Mander said.

The bylaw recognised that too much signage would create clutter that would make individual signs less effective and reduce street amenity.

“While it takes a restrictive approach to the placement of these signs it does provide a way for exemptions to be obtained. The problem is that to date such exemptions have not been consistently administered and there is a need to set out clear expectations around directional signage,” Mr Mander said.

To achieve consistency around directional signage, Council was forming a policy to guide decisions made by officers and elected members.  The matter was considered by the Council earlier this month and a copy of the draft policy is attached.

“We are now seeking feedback on the draft policy before we take this any further,’ Mr Mander said. Things to consider included:

• What’s permitted and what isn’t?

• The format of the signage. 

• Who pays for the installation and maintenance of the signs?

• The degree to which existing signage is affected by the policy. Any changes in approach will mean the need to remove some signs. 

“The Council wants to hear from the community and has specifically targeted as best we can, businesses that could be affected by the policy,” Mr Mander said.

The draft policy could be viewed on the Council website.  Read the draft policy here and comments could be sent to the Council through until the 25 March.

ENDS

For further information please contact Denis Mander 03 441 0499.

By: Andrea Bunting