Slow response from Council over outsized Liberal Party election banners after “numerous complaints”

On Monday a community group wrote to Council’s General Manager asking what was happening about the large number of illegal election banners the Liberals and Les and The Doc candidate groups have slapped up all over the Hawkesbury.

Election banners cannot be more than 0.8 square metres in size, or they must be agreed to by Council through a Development Application (DA).

Three days later, and with the election only 2 days away, the outsized banners all appear to still be in place.

Our main picture here was taken today at 11.20am at Kurrajong where the outsized Liberal poster is attached to a fence.

On Monday, the Council’s General Manager Elizabeth Richardson told a community group in answer to their query that she could confirm Council had “received numerous complaints about the placement of election signage from the Public”.

“Council will review and investigate all complaints we have received and will immediately action high priority,” said Ms Richardson.

We too have been in touch with the Council and have just been told by Ms Richardson that, “instructions have been issued to several candidates to remove oversized signage”.

Yet the signs are still there.

Les and The Doc are no strangers to the large rule-busting sign either…this one also covering a warning sign and not carrying the name of the printer and address at which it was printed – which is another rule broken

Back a month or so ago, signs put up by a group protesting against the North Richmond Bridge duplication Green Route were taken down by Council compliance officers within 24 hours.

Ms Richardson told the community group on Monday, Council would address “signage concerns that pose a risk to public health and safety”.

“We will continue to balance the management of these complaints with other regulative and legislative compliance matters.”

It is interesting to note that sitting Mayor, Liberal Patrick Conolly, and sitting Liberal councillor – and likely Federal candidate – Sarah Richards have signed off on the giant banners which, as councillors, they should know are breaking the rules.

All councillors were sent a letter from Council’s GM Ms Richardson on November 19, detailing the rules and regulations around the signs, plus other election material.

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