Community signage and billboards
Options to advertise community events and activities
Community signs
Nelson City Council owns notice boards around the city that are available for hire to community groups or organisations promoting community activities. The community sign boards located at Bishopdale Hill have been installed by the Nelson City Council to enable community groups and organisations to advertise events and community messages that add to the vitality and social well being of Nelson in a controlled and orderly manner that is convenient, cost effective and safe.
The council has obtained resource consent for the permanent frames and the temporary signs they contain, however the conditions set down by Council and New Zealand Transport Agency below must be complied with.
Council retains the right to confiscate and dispose of signs that contravene conditions, or have not been officially booked, or have not been removed by due date.
For safety reasons access to the notice board must be from Scotia Street only.
Fee
$35 including GST per week per sign.
Message
The signs must advertise a community event or public message. Commercial products cannot be advertised. The message must focus on the event or community message without advertising for other goods or services. The messages must not be offensive in any way.
Sign size and design
The signs must be a standard size. This is 2400mm long by 1200mm wide by 12 to 18 mm thick (based on a standard sheet of signboard). The frames have been designed to hold this size.
The sign writing must be neat and easily read from the road, and comply with the minimum letter size of 160mm.
The number of words (including logos) must not exceed 12, or 70 characters. Logos count as one word for each logo. Logos are limited to 4 max.
Sign colours should not mimic or be confused with standard traffic signs.
Signs should not be reflectorised nor be illuminated, or animated in any way.
On receipt of an application form which meets the requirements a board number will be allocated, along with a map showing the location of the allocated board.
Sites
There are a total of nine notice boards available for hire: six at Bishopdale Hill and three at Miyazu Park.
How do I apply for a site?
Your group must complete an application form and pay the fee before the sign is put up on the board. Applications must be made in person at Nelson City Council's Customer Service Centre.
Maximum display period for any one booking
Two weeks. Signs advertising one event or one series of events cannot be placed more than six times per year.
Timeframe for bookings
Bookings times are from noon on Sundays to noon on Sundays. It is important that signs are removed on time at noon on Sundays to allow the next applicant to put their sign up.
Enforcement
The community notice boards are checked regularly by a Council officer who has the authority to remove and dispose of any sign which does not meet the criteria set out in the application form.
Council is not responsible for any damage to or loss of applicant’s sign. The site cannot be hired to a third party.
New system for community posters
Council has eight poster bollards around the city for anyone in the community to advertise events.
However, there have been some issues with how they are used. Issues include covering up other posters and dominating the space available.
Council will be utilising the services of Phantom Billstickers to act as our agent and improve the delivery of poster services in Nelson. Phantom Billstickers have partnerships with many other local authorities around New Zealand. They provide a neutral third party to make sure posters are placed fairly. The work they’ll be carrying out includes:
- Getting rid of graffiti, inappropriate displays and repairing damage on the bollards
- Managing poster displays promoting arts, events, not-for-profit and public good
- Offering equal access to the bollards by all
- Daily visits to check all poster sites
There will be no cost to the ratepayers as the system is self-funding. The cost to customers wanting to use the poster bollards will be:
- $1 (plus GST) for an A3 poster
- $2 (plus GST) for an A2 poster
- $4 (plus GST) for an A1 poster
However, to ensure access for musical bands, art organisations and not-for-profit causes who have limited resources to meet these costs, the first 25 A3-sized posters per organisation per event will be free.
Poster bollard locations
- North side of Bridge Street, east of Haven Road
- Montgomery Car Park, northeast corner toilet block
- Outside 101 Hardy Street
- On “1903 Square”, corner Trafalgar Street/Selwyn Place
- Outside 209 Hardy (south of Old Bank Reserve)
- Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, “B Block” (outside) 333 Hardy Street
- Wakatu Square Car Park, near Wakatu Lane entrance
- Alma Lane, Hardy Street end
Those interested in placing posters on Council bollards can call Phantom Billstickers on freephone 0800 PHANTOM (0800 742 686).
Billboards
Council has several billboard and tower locations around the city where people are welcome to put up posters advertising community activities, concerts, meetings and any other type of event. Council asks that you first understand how to properly post your messages to ensure fairness and readability.
Use of poster billboards
To ensure these spaces are used fairly by both commercial poster pasters and the general public, Council, in conjunction with Keep Nelson Beautiful, has developed some guidelines for their use. The main points of these guidelines are as follows:
- Posters should be pasted in horizontal lines and in alignment with others, not over the top of them.
- The venue of the event advertised must be within Nelson city boundaries.
- The number and size of posters for the same event on each poster tower or bill board shall be limited to four A3 size or three A2 size posters. A1 size posters are not permitted.
- Over-pasting is permitted only over the number of posters on the poster tower or billboard which exceed the guide maximum number, or over any poster where the event date has expired.
Billboard locations
- Buxton Square Toilet Block North Wall
- The New Hub, New Street
Contact
For additional information, call Council on +64 3 546 0200.
