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Policy on candidate signage

Candidates need to adhere to the following policy on signage for the 2019 local elections:

  • Landowner’s consent is needed to erect and site a sign [before sign is erected]
  • Election signs can be displayed for a maximum of two (2) months before the date of the election i.e. 12 October 2019
  • All signs must be removed by midnight on Friday 11 October 2019
  • Only one [1] sign per site per candidate is permitted
  • Maximum permitted sign size is 3m2 with a maximum height of 3m
  • Any structures and signs are to be removed if they are considered by Council Enforcement Officers to be unsafe or constitute a traffic hazard
  • Signs must comply with the Building Act

There are no Council reserves, streets or other Council administered property sites available for the siting of signs. This includes land owned by Council but leased to another organisation.

New Zealand Transport Agency election sign requirements

Signs located on State highway road reserves

The placement of a sign within State Highway road reserve must be approved by the Transport Agency prior to being erected. Signs must meet the criteria below in accordance with the Electoral (Advertisements of a Special Kind) Regulations 2005, the Local Electoral Act 2001, the Transport Agency Signs on State Highways Bylaw 2010, The Transport Agency Advertising signs and road safety: design and location guidelines and the Transport Agency Traffic Control Devices Manual Part 3 Advertising Signs.

The criteria are as follows:

  • Signs located on a motorway or State highway road reserve are not permitted in speed environments of 70kph or above
  • Vehicle mounted signs situated on motorways or State highways are not permitted;
  • Signs within the State highway road reserve in a speed environment less than 70kph, must:
    • Not exceed 1 square metre in area, or 2 metres for any edge dimension;
    • Not use reflective material, have internal or external illumination nor any moving parts or a dynamic or flashing display;
    • Not be more than 2.5 metres above the road or ground (measured from the bottom edge of the sign);
    • Not be closer than 5 metres from the edge of the carriageway;
    • Not be located within 100m of an intersection or pedestrian crossing;
    • Not imitate or be of a design, form or colour similar to any traffic signs;
    • Be positioned at a right angle to the State highway;
    • Have lettering and symbols at least 120 millimetres in height;
    • Have spacing between lines of text of at least 50mm;
    • Be located generally giving consideration to visibility and other traffic safety aspects;
    • Have no more than 6 words, or 40 characters;
    • Not be erected for longer than 9 weeks prior to the election day
    • If required, have the approval of the relevant local authority.

The Transport Agency reserves the right to approve or decline the erection of any sign.

Signs erected within State Highway road reserve in a location or a manner likely to cause distraction or a danger to road users may be removed by the Transport Agency without prior notice. Where a sign is removed by the Transport Agency the candidate will be advised of its removal. The sign may be redeemed at the candidate's cost.

Signs located on private property adjacent to the State Highway

Signs located on private property adjacent to a State Highway must comply with both the Electoral (Advertisements of a Special Kind) Regulations 2005 and the Electoral Act 2001 but are administered by the relevant local authority. If the sign requires resource consent, approval will be required from the Transport Agency as an affected party under Section 95 of the Resource Management Act.

Signs located on private property adjacent to the State Highway that do not require resource consent from the relevant local authority, do not require approval from the Transport Agency. However, in the interest of road safety, the Transport Agency requests your cooperation in controlling the appearance and location of electioneering signs in accordance with the criteria above. Additionally, in speed environments over 70km/h, it is recommended that signs should not be located within 200m of an intersection or pedestrian crossing.

If you have any further queries, please contact the New Zealand Transport Agency's Consents and Approvals team on consentsandapprovals@nzta.govt.nz

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