Council says no to news racks – but throws mX a lifeline

BY ALEX MCDONALD

A plan to put newspaper racks on city footpaths has been torpedoed by Clover Moore and her team of independent councillors.

Lord Mayor Moore said putting news racks on street corners, even on a trial basis, was at odds with council’s “decluttering” policy and would simply take up too much space.

According to council’s newly amended Policy for the Distribution of Printed Matter and Other Material on Footways: “The city’s footways are home to an array of functions and activities… These activities create considerable demand for the city’s limited footway space and the city has a role in maintaining the function safety and amenity of footways.”

At the same time, the policy has given the publishers of City Weekly, Nine to Five and mX permission to distribute their publications throughout the city, after paying fees to council.

Local solicitor Phillip Roberts said the City of Sydney is not legally entitled to collect fees in return for giving News Limited – the publisher of mX – distribution rights.

“Council has set up a regulatory process in relation to the distribution of printed matter on our footways without first considering whether it has the power to do this,” Mr Roberts wrote in a submission to council.

“A substantial time later [council] has enquired with the director general of the Department of Local Government and been advised that it doesn’t have the power to do it under the Local Government Act.”

Greens councillor Chris Harris described the fee-paying exemptions as “a joke” at a recent council meeting.

Meanwhile Liberal councillor Shayne Mallard attempted to amend the policy to allow news racks to be placed at four locations across the city on a trial basis.

Cr Mallard’s amendment was supported by Cr Harris, Cr Doutney and Cr Burgmann, but was successfully blocked by the group of five Clover Moore independents.

Cr Di Tornai defended council’s stance, arguing that distributing free publications like The City News could lead to “a turf war between particular newspapers”.