Hi Beagle Weekly News,
Whilst the putting screws and nail into trees is not banned under the NSW Electoral Act, it’s widely acknowledged that such acts can make trees susceptible to decay or reduce their life expectancy.
As other local governments within NSW take steps to address the issue of nailing and screwing election campaign posters to trees, it appears that the Eurobodalla Shire Council is accepting of this behaviour.
• Why does Andrew Constance who supposedly represents constituents of a Shire previous branded as the “Nature Coast” allow election campaign posters to be screwed election to trees.
• Why does Eurobodalla Shire Council allow election campaign posters to be nailed to trees along George Bass Drive, adjoining an area which the The Minister for the Environment, Robert Stokes, made an order conferring biodiversity certification over Broulee on 19 September 2014.
Will Eurobodalla Shire Council be taking any action to remove election posters that have been screwed to trees?
As an ACT resident visiting the region I was disgusted by the number of posters I saw attached to trees.
Within the ACT movable signage including electoral advertising material is prohibited from being attached to trees or other vegetation.
The Eurobodalla Shire Council’s own Signage Code states that the Council will not consent to signage 'on hoardings, trees, telephones poles and other inappropriate structures', however numerous signs have been attached to trees within the Shire.
Under the NSW Electoral Act of 2017 posters are prohibited from being placed on any public or community-owned land, which includes trees on road verges, alongside highways, on council buildings or other structures or in parks.
It’s widely acknowledge that the act of nailing or screwing trees makes them susceptible to decay and can reduce their life expectancy. For an Shire region that is renowned for it’s natural assets it is disturbing that Eurobodalla Shire Council appears to be accepting of this damaging behaviour by election candidates and does not actively remove the signs or take action against offending candidates.
Eurobodalla Shire Council can do much better than this. Why not join other NSW local government regions such as Orange City Council who have taken additional steps to warn candidates against putting posters on trees.
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