By Emma Young
Prominent Perth boys’ school Aquinas College has applied to install a $2.37 million digital billboard on Kwinana Freeway to raise money.
The sign would be 12.5 metres x 3.2 metres, or 40 square metres, almost exactly the size of a standard Transperth bus, placed just north of Mount Henry Bridge, visible to north and southbound traffic.
A digital billboard in freeway-fringing bushland: jarring or justified?
A member of the school community concerned about the spread of digital billboards in Perth, and dubious about Aquinas’ rationale for placing the billboard on its land, told WAtoday an unknown local had been letterboxing nearby Salter Point homes with copies of the proposal and A3 sheets of photos.
The $2 million sign will advertise the school and also feature third-party advertising which the school states will “directly support” its bursary fund, which provides financial assistance for students who cannot afford the school’s fees.
It states the advertising will be “carefully curated by the College’s media booking agent to ensure it aligns with the ethos and reputation of the school and social responsibility to its community.”
It is the fourth digital sign application in the City of South Perth; two are installed and one approved along Canning Highway, at South Terrace and Henley Street, and soon Hobbs Avenue.
Former City of South Perth councillor Stephen Russell says digital roadside signs are “proliferating” in Perth and queried the appropriateness of a school being able to generate revenue from such a commercial activity, even if for a bursary.
“I am having difficulties reconciling Aquinas funding college infrastructure to the tune of $25 million yet needing to rely upon third-party advertisements to fund a bursary for disadvantaged students,” Russell said, referring to Aquinas’ plan to build a new recital hall, music school, Aquinas Club and hockey pavilion, approved in October.
Russell said the land was zoned “private community purposes”, which had among others an objective to “provide sites for privately owned and operated recreation, institutions and places of worship”, but said for authorities to deem this billboard functioned as a fundamentally private or community objective would make a mockery of the definition. He noted Aquinas did not pay council rates on its land.
A City of South Perth spokesperson said third-party advertising signage was not a use listed in the zoning table and the city therefore needed to consider whether the sign was consistent with the objectives of the zone before making its recommendation to the Development Assessment Panel, having regard to the extent of advertising for the school and for third parties.
Principal Robert Henderson was approached for a response but did not address Russell’s comments or a question about whether any of the advertising revenue would go to the operator.
He pointed to a media release saying the proposed installation would comply with all Main Roads protocols and make a meaningful impact on families across WA, including First Nations students.
Henderson recently wrote to parents that the proposed placement did not “aesthetically compromise” the campus or river aspect, and was a fantastic location for passing traffic.
“We are seeking our community’s support before we proceed any further,” he wrote.
The application is currently open for public comment on the City’s website. The City will then consider submissions and make its recommendation to the DAP for a final decision.
Russell is also concerned about the billboards at a vacant former car dealership at Canning Highway/Henley Street on the approach to Canning Bridge, as the site was subsequently deemed a crash risk level 4 location, meaning Main Roads would not permit such signage there if it were applied for today.
The Main Roads policy says level-4 risk road segments have “extremely high casualty crash records”, that the addition of any distractions may create an unacceptable risk of a casualty crash, and no digital signs will be permitted.
Russell said the billboards remaining at the old car dealership site did “not instil confidence.”
“Perhaps Main Roads do not want to address the retrospective application of their new policy as they themselves have an existing [digital billboard] at a level 4 site – Kwinana Freeway at Leach Highway – and therefore the shutdown of this [sign] would impact their own state government revenue stream,” he said. “Expect more LFDS proposals for South Perth.”
Main Roads was unable to comment by deadline.
Mock-up of northbound view. Credit: The development proposal
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.