Woollahra Council set to crackdown on out-of-control corflute wars ahead of federal election

The escalating corflute wars in Sydney’s east have locals begging to “unsubscribe” from “over-saturated” election campaigning as signs are lit on fire, defaced and smeared with faeces.

L: A Ro Knox poster after being set alight, R: A vandalised poster of Allegra Spender.

“Out of control” corflute wars in Sydney’s east have sparked calls for a crackdown on election campaigning as signs are lit on fire, defaced and smeared with faeces.

The seat of Wentworth in Sydney’ east has become awash with political advertising ahead of this weekend’s election.

Woollahra Council’s Deputy Mayor Sean Carmichael is calling for a crackdown to stop “every available power pole or street fixture” being overtaken.

In a strongly worded notice of motion, Mr Carmichael suggested introducing a policy in which campaign posters can go up “no earlier than 14 days before any election”.

In addition, the policy would require the removal of all posters within a week of polling day.

Posters of Ro Knox and Allegra Spender are being torn down throughout the seat of Wentworth.

The motion, which will be voted on at Monday’s meeting, states the “fixed time limit will naturally force campaigns to be more strategic in their location and numbers”.

“It would strike a more civilised and environmentally sensitive tone, one that still supports society’s democratic needs, but without causing an overwhelming assault on one’s senses when stepping out into the street,” the motion reads.

A defaced campaign poster of Ro Knox.

“Regardless of political stripes, many residents are begging to altogether ‘unsubscribe’ from this plastic visual assault that is driven by the advent of ‘big money’ or ‘Americanisation’ of elections in our region.”

As well as the “incredibly wasteful” scale of the campaigning, Mr Carmichael is also concerned the thousands of corflutes had become targets for anti-social and offensive behaviour.

Mr Carmichael stated corflutes were frequently defaced by anti-Semitic and misogynistic vandalism, in displays which could “normalise” such attitudes.

“Considering the often misogynistic and anti-Semitic nature of the defacing, it isn’t good to be normalising this to children,” he told this masthead.

Allegra Spender’s posters have been subjected to unauthorised messaging by stickers.

It comes as campaigners for the Liberal Party state at least 500 posters of their candidate Ro Knox had been stolen or vandalised, with some smeared with animal excrement, defaced with swastikas and in one case set on fire.

The Liberal hopeful told this masthead, if elected, she would pledge not to have her posters on public property, stating locals were “sick of the silly games”.

“We’re all over the waste, the visual pollution, the silly games where people are tearing down and defacing posters,” she said

“I think they should be banned on public property, this should be the last election they get used and abused.

“Voters deserve to know what the candidates really stand for, not just what they look like. This is too important an election to be distracted by posters.”

Similarly campaigners for incumbent member Allegra Spender say hundreds of their posters had also been targeted, including with unauthorised stickers.

Ro Knox said she supported a ban on political advertising on public property.

In a statement, Ms Spender said while she agreed campaigning needed “a return to civility”, the motion “would just block need candidates”.

“We a need to return to civility in campaigning but the council’s plan to reduce the campaign period would just block new candidates and entrench incumbents and major parties, and perhaps that’s what the Liberal councillors want,” Ms Spender said.