Kim Richards faces questioning over illegal advertising on council fence
A State MP, running in a marginal seat in the October election, will face questioning after claims she illegally advertised on a council fence on a prominent road, sparking a political wrangle.
Redlands Coast
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A State MP, who is running in a marginal seat in the October election, will face questioning after claims she illegally advertised on a council fence on a prominent road, sparking a political wrangle.
But Redlands MP Kim Richards denies it was an election sign.
Ms Richards paid the Redlands Netball Association $1000 a year to hang her sign on the fence at the Pinklands Sporting Complex in Thornlands, facing the main road.
The MP, who is also a member of the high-profile Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee, put up her sponsorship sign without council consent.
And she’s not the only politician to have used the fence.
Federal MP Andrew Laming and Redland councillor Paul Golle also had signs on the fence before they were removed, believed to have been stolen sometime in April in an unrelated incident.
The political stoush over space on the fence was followed by Ms Richards lodging an unsuccessful complaint to the Office of Independent Assessor about Cr Golle and funding grants to the rugby league club also at Pinklands.
It has also prompted Redland councillor Lance Hewlett to launch plans for the local laws to be retrofitted to allow the revenue raising practice to continue.
“I put my sign up at the club back in 2017 after I was elected — it is not an election sign,” Ms Richards said.
“I am a sponsor of the netball association and have even umpired there and this was a way I can make a donation to the club while also informing my electorate.
“Lots of local clubs use their fences to raise money which has been a normal practice in Redlands for years.”
Redland City Council said it had never allowed any club or organisation to use its fences for election campaigns or as advertising cash cows.
“The current fence line advertising is being reviewed and council is following up with interested parties about the matter,” it said.
“Council receives no revenue for political advertising on council fences as it is not permitted.
“This also applies to council-managed land under tenure arrangements.”
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Redlands Netball Association, made up of 11 clubs under the one roof at the Cleveland-Redland Bay Rd address, said it would struggle without the advertising, which brings in about $50,000 a year.
Association president Melita Cheetham said the council wanted the revenue but not to pay to fix the fence after a car rammed it this year.
“It is a council-owned site but we are responsible for the maintenance of all the grass courts, buildings and sheds so taking away this longstanding form of revenue is of concern.”
Ms Cheetham said the council wanted to rake in all the fence advertising revenue and hand it out to the five Pinklands organisations, including a pony club and art centre.
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Cr Golle, who did not pay to use the fence, said his sign was removed without his knowledge before he realised it was illegal.
“I was going to take my sign down when I found out it was against council laws but Kim Richards is still breaking the law even after she strongly advocates to clean up local government corruption,” he said.
“It was her government that axed the $20,000 Councillor Community Benefit Fund limiting us to $9500 a year to support community groups and individuals, like those clubs.
“Now she is making the most of that and is paying a netball club to advertise on a council fence.”