Fines for signs

Wyndham council's Werribee offices. Photo by Damjan Janevski. 209276_06

Wyndham council has issued 16 fines to four candidates who displayed illegal signage during the local government election period, which finished on Friday.

A blitz by council enforcement officers identified 369 sites with electoral signage, across the municipality.

A total of 49 signs were found to be illegally placed and were impounded by council officers.

The council prohibits the display of electoral signage in or on any public place – such as land, including roads and reserves – which council owns, occupies, manages or controls.

The council’s director of city operations, Stephen Thorpe, said: “Signage proliferation has an undesirable effect on the visual amenity of the municipality.”

“Obstruction to driver and pedestrian vision and the possibility of signs becoming airborne are of great concern to council.”

“Overall, candidates have followed and complied with the electoral signage requirements.

“Where this did not occur, signs were impounded and fines were issued.

“Our officers have now turned their attention to the ‘clean up efforts’, that will include candidates that have come to our attention during this election period, advising them of their obligations to remove their electoral signage.”

Illegal signage can carry a fine of up to $826 per sign.

A copy of the council’s Election Signage Protocol was provided to all election candidates.