The Beagle Editor, By-elections are a couple of weeks away and already we are seeing a number of candidates breaching the rules. But what exactly are the rules regarding the display of political posters/corflutes and who is responsible for enforcing these rules? During the 2016 council elections, a number of candidates breached the rules set down by the government but complaints made to council resulted in a handball to the Electoral Commission for action and a complaint made to the Electoral Commission resulted in a handball back to council.
Under the NSW Electoral Act of 2017 it is an offence to put posters on any public or community-owned land. That includes trees on road verges, on highways, on council-owned buildings or in parks.
Posters and campaign material can only be displayed on private property with the owner's permission.
What's banned
· No posters on any Crown or community owned land
· Posters banned from trees on road verges and alongside highways
· No posters on council-owned buildings, structures or in parks
· Posters only allowed on private property with owner's permission
· While not banned, putting screws into trees can make them susceptible to decay or reduce their life expectancy
· Posters are banned from any wall, fence or boundary of a polling place
· No posters on cars or stalls on footpaths near polling place
· Electoral matter cannot be written, drawn or depicted on any property, including roads, footpaths, buildings, vehicles, vessels, hoardings or place (whether it is or is not a public place and whether on land or water).
· Names and addresses of a person authorising the electoral material must be included on all posters and signs
· However, that doesn't include electoral matter on T-shirts, lapel buttons, lapel badges, pens, pencils, balloons or business cards.
Coral Anderson
Above: "Girls, what do you think of those who flount the poster rules and trash the highway?"
