Bill posters could be illegal

The City of Sydney has introduced a stringent new grafitti policy banning bill posters across the majority of the city.

Replacing the existing graffiti policy made in 2004, Council’s new Draft Graffiti Management Policy has banned bill posters with the exception of five “character” areas. Under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act, bill posting is considered illegal as a form of pollution.

“Vandalism is a real concern for our community,” said Lord Mayor Clover Moore. “If it’s not removed it can create an atmosphere of neglect and devalue property prices.”

To tackle the problem, Council has installed nine poster pillars providing a legal site for notices and fliers.

Council has introduced five “character” precincts where community posters can be displayed up to a week. The designated areas are found in Newtown, Glebe, Darlington, Broadway and Surry Hills.

Living Sydney Councillor, Angela Vithoulkas said areas like Newtown have special provisions because it borders two local government areas (City of Sydney and Marrickville), with King St as the boundary.

“It is sensible to be mindful of the sensitivities of the different Councils and not have one side of the street vastly different to the other,” she said.

But City of Sydney Greens Councillor, Irene Doutney said the provisions are “totally inadequate”.

“If you lose your cat in Waterloo, there’s no point putting up a poster in Darlington,” she said. “You want your posters to be in the district around you.

“I think those five precincts are ridiculous … what about Redfern, Waterloo, Rosebery, Paddington?”

Council spends over $2 million each year keeping public spaces free from vandalism and pollution. Ms Vithoulkas was adamant ratepayers should be wary of these costs.

“We need to be mindful that there is a cost to the ratepayers because the people who put the posters up never take them down and Council has to pay to have them removed,” she said.

But Ms Dountney said the new policy will be ineffective because there are few provisions for policing.

“I don’t think it’s going to have any effect; I think people will put up posters wherever they want,” she said. “It seems we have a policy that is making them break the law that isn’t being policed.”

Mr Doutney added it is a freedom of speech issue, with posters remaining a valuable and legitimate form of expression in the community.

“One man’s graffiti is another man’s street art,” she said. “I don’t think we need to manage a lot of that art … those big band signs told me when things were on, which I’d never find out any other way.”