Adelaide City Councillor calling for election poster ban

An Adelaide City councillor is calling for an investigation into banning corflutes in the CBD and North Adelaide to stop visual pollution and protect the environment.

• Time to ban election posters, say Kate Ellis and Christopher Pyne
• The Advertiser’s weekly federal election podcast
• Christopher Pyne dismantles the great Corflute Pyramid

Corflutes would be banned during election campaigns in the CBD under an Adelaide City councillor’s plan to stop “visual pollution” in the area.

Adelaide City Cr Robert Simms has lodged a motion with the council asking for an investigation into “prohibiting” election signage, possibly across all tiers of government.

It comes days after retiring Adelaide MP Kate Ellis and outgoing Defence Minster Christopher Pyne last week called for the posters to be banned to stop annoying voters, wasting resources and distracting from policy discussion.

“I think many city residents are sick to death of corflutes filling our city streets,” Cr Simms said.

PODCAST: ELLIS AND PYNE: EPISODE 1

“It is hugely costly for candidates, it is a form of visual pollution … and it is also wasteful.

“I have used corflutes before myself, but I am sure many people would be delighted not to see my mug on Stobie polls.”

He said it would also “level the playing field” between candidates who could, and could not, afford signage.

According to the Local Government Association of South Australia, the signs must not restrict the road or endanger the safety of members of the public.

They must not be larger than one square metre and must be designed, made and presented in a “quality manner” so as not to become a danger to roadusers and end up as litter.

In addition, corflutes must include the name and the address of the person authorising and printing them.

They are not allowed on the South Eastern Freeway, the Southern, Port River and Northern expressways, and the North-South Motorway.

Adelaide Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor said if conditions around election signage were to change, it would have to be across all tiers of government.

“It seems a little bit unfair or unjust if it is just one level of government,” Ms Verschoor said.

The motion is expected to be voted on next Tuesday.

If the council voted in favour, it would have to write to the State Government asking for legislative change as part of the Local Government Act reforms.