Ausgrid warns council candidates against using power polls to hang campaign material

Council candidates have been asked to dob on each other if electoral posters are found on Ausgrid power poles, with thousand-dollar fines at stake if they ignore the take-down order.

Political parties in southern Sydney may be slapped with hefty fines for using power poles to promote their election campaigns.

Candidate posters from the Greens, Peaceful Bayside, and Labor Party have been found on Ausgrid electrical assets as the contest for seats on Bayside Council heats up ahead of the September 14 council election.

Local Sandringham resident Bill Aston, 70, said he was “shocked” to see the posters up only days after Ausgrid sent a legal letter to the NSW Electoral Commission, warning political parties against the “dangerous” and “illegal” practice.

“I was shocked to go around and see how many posters were put up by Peaceful Bayside and the Greens,” Mr Aston said.

“With the recent bad weather we’ve been having these cheap, corflute signs were flying off … it was dangerous.

Bayside Greens used wraparound posters on the power poles. Picture: Tileah Dobson

Peaceful Bayside posters were also found in the Bayside Council area. Picture: Supplied

“The candidates are standing for council and being disingenuous by breaking the law. They know what they are doing.”

Mr Aston reported the parties to Ausgrid more than a week ago and noticed many posters had already come down.

However, the scale-back did little to dissuade the electricity distributor from issuing a letter to all NSW local government election candidates on August 27.

“Due to community concern and the significant costs incurred by Ausgrid in removing and disposing of electoral material, Ausgrid wishes to advise that it will take steps to recover its costs from candidates who breach these laws during this, and all future, election campaigns,” the letter read.

“This means that if you or your campaign staff disregard this reminder by affixing electoral material to Ausgrid’s electrical works, Ausgrid will remove all Electoral Material associated with your political campaign that are situated on Ausgrid’s electrical works.

Ausgrid sent out a warning letter to all NSW Local government election candidates. Picture: Supplied

An Ausgrid spokesperson said under the Electricity Supply Act, individual candidates could be fined $2200 if they failed to remove the electoral material seven days after a warning was issued.

Corporations could face fines of up to $440,000 for the same failure to comply.

“Ausgrid will also seek to recover costs from you and these costs will include the time and materials we may incur in removing that electoral material and repairing any damage done to Ausgrid’s electrical works from you as a debt owing to Ausgrid,” the letter continued.

“If you see any other candidates who are not compliant with this request, we would be grateful if you could please report them.”

Labor candidate for Ward 5, Edward McDougall, said he would begin the process of removing his posters after Ausgrid released a similar statement on Tuesday.

“Volunteers recently put up some of my posters around the ward over the weekend,” he said.

“Having now read Ausgrid’s statement yesterday, I will work to take them down off Ausgrid poles.”

Ward 5 candidate Heidi Lee Douglas said her team had taken down all the signs. Picture: Supplied

Fellow Ward 5 Labor candidate Edward McDougall said he will “work to take down” the posters. Picture: Tileah Dobson

Peaceful Bayside Councillor Heidi Lee Douglas, who is also contesting Ward 5, said “there are lots of signs up for other candidates”.

“I checked with longer serving councillors from major parties who confirmed the practice, which I had already witnessed here myself as a local resident,” Ms Douglas said.

“I also reached out to the General Manager of Bayside Council, who suggested contacting Ausgrid for confirmation because there was a delay in getting this information directly from Ausgrid. We had placed some signs on some poles.

“However, even before Ausgrid’s public announcement, we had already decided to take the signs down as a precaution.

“I am glad Ausgrid have now publicly clarified their position as the link they sent us to their policy was faulty.”

Bayside Greens were also approached for comment but did not reply in time.