Billboards became a political issue in Auckland at the turn of the century when all of a sudden the inner city seemed to be swamped with unsightly placards polluting the landscape. The introduction of the Auckland City Council Billboards Bylaw 2007 temporarily cleaned the area up, but the issue has cropped up again with the Auckland Unitary Plan providing for billboards that are “well designed and in the right place”.  With digital technology becoming increasingly popular there are new issues to consider.

Two years ago Christchurch City Council asked Boffa Miskell to help develop a guidance document on electronic advertising signs. Landscape planner Yvonne Pfluger was tasked with the project. She says the biggest considerations for councils when developing plan provisions or guidelines are location, the height, size and scale of the billboard and the brightness of lighting. The visual integration of billboards, including their mounting and integration with the architecture of the building are also important aspects. 

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