Posters will be prosecuted

Posters will be prosecuted

Sydney City Council will use the full backing of the law to help clean-up one of the worst items of litter on Oxford St -” playbills.

Political, community and commercial organisations alike will be targeted as the City of Sydney vows to follow through with prosecution for illegal postering.

Offending organisations will face fines of up to $1500 per poster and individuals charged $750 for putting posters up.

In the past four years removing bill posters has cost City of Sydney ratepayers more than $6 million, city services director Garry Harding said.

Last financial year we removed more than 340,000 bill posters covering about 112,000 square metres from hoardings, telegraph poles and street signs.

Apart from the number of trees being cut down to create these posters, they look ugly, deteriorate quickly and have the potential to wash into the stormwater system polluting our harbour.

Darlinghurst Business Partnership president Andrew Duckmanton agreed that a tidier-looking city would help businesses attract customers.
If we’re trying to be a little bit more upmarket, posters do detract from an area. I just find them a bit offensive myself, particularly considering that it’s public space and they’re not paying for using the space, Duckmanton told Sydney Star Observer.

Community Action Against Homo-phobia, one of several local groups who use posters, is concerned that such an unmitigated approach to community organisation posters would affect freedom of speech.
We would like to see a review of the move. A blanket prohibition of all postering doesn’t account for the fact that some bill postering is beneficial to the community, a spokeswoman said.

It is true that large organisations use posters but so do smaller community groups who can’t necessarily afford to promote themselves or upcoming events in other ways.

Acts like this really do cut down on free speech. Posters are used by groups to talk to the general community and there are few other affordable ways to reach people outside of rallies.

The hardline approach to posters will come into effect from November 10, but will not affect notices of garage sales, lost pets or local fetes.

The council will seek to encourage use of its newly erected poster pillars, which are being trialled over the next 12 months on popular streets, including Oxford St.

info: For a full listing of poster pillars around Sydney head to www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.
Have your say: Should the City of Sydney provide exemptions for political and community groups?

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One response to “Posters will be prosecuted”

  1. What happened to the non-permanent chalkings that used to happen at Universities?? Surely some of you are still there! (how many more years before you finish that Arts degree again?)