Five Napier-based election candidates unintentionally breach signage rules

Three candidates in the Napier City Council elections and two from the Hawke's Bay Regional Council elections unintentionally breached electioneering protocols. Graphic / Aaron Byron

Five Napier-based local election candidates across Napier City Council and Hawke's Bay Regional Council have unintentionally breached electioneering protocols with their signs.

A Napier City Council spokeswoman said council officers were aware of three incidences of unintentional breach of electioneering protocols with the placement of election signage and hoardings.

Mayor Kirsten Wise erected an election hoarding on Waka Kotahi land without authorisation and Councillors Sally Crown (Nelson Park ward) and Hayley Browne (Ahuriri ward) erected election hoardings on heritage buildings against District Plan rules.

"Once notified of the breaches, all three candidates promptly relocated their hoardings. No action was required by the regulatory team," the council spokeswoman said.

Mayor Wise said her sign was located on Prebensen Dr on what she thought was private land.

"As soon as I was notified ... I removed it immediately," she said.

Councillor Crown said she had been offered the site for her billboard and did not realise it breached the District Plan.

"Having your community offer their support through use of their property for billboard sites is very humbling," she said.

"I did not realise at the time that the site I had kindly been offered did not comply, given it was on private property and appeared to meet the stipulations in the election hoardings information."

She said she was able to remove the billboard prior to receiving a written request thanks to a phone call from elections staff.

Councillor Browne did not respond to a request for comment from Hawke's Bay Today in time for publication.

The Napier City Council spokeswoman confirmed signs are allowed adjacent to state highways assuming the appropriate approval has been granted.

Peter Martin, electoral officer for the Hawke's Bay Regional Council elections, said that he was made aware of two incidences of unintentional breaches of the electioneering protocols which were immediately rectified upon notification.

He said councillor Hinewai Ormsby had an election hoarding on Waka Kotahi land without authorisation and candidate Mark Barham similarly had a series of signs and hoardings on public land and Waka Kotahi controlled land.

"Candidates are provided with a handbook which has guidelines, suggestions and some legal matters / rules that they must comply with including electoral spending and signage / hoardings etc," he said.

Napier-based candidates are the only ones who've been warned for breaching signage rules. Photo / NZME

"Electoral officers do not actively audit/enforce these rules – it is up to candidates to comply with the law which is ultimately enforced by the police if they consider it appropriate."

He said if a complaint is received from the public then electoral officers remind candidates of their obligations and the candidates themselves would then remove signs

If complaints continue to be received then electoral officers could contact the Police.

Barham and Councillor Ormsby did not respond to requests for comment from Hawke's Bay Today in time for publication.

Spokeswomen for Hastings District Council, Central Hawke's Bay District Council and Wairoa District Council all said no signs had been removed as yet for regulatory non-compliance or at the instruction of electoral officers.