KEY POINTS:
The councillor at the vanguard of a campaign to ban billboards in Auckland has moved swiftly to remove an election hoarding labelled "hypocritical" by her neighbours.
Fennela Tonkin said a billboard on City Vision councillor Glenda Fryer's front lawn was a double standard. "It's just absolutely hypocritical - but it is quite hilarious."
Ms Tonkin, a 50-year-old antique dealer who has lived on Burnley Tce, Sandringham, for 20 years, said she had no issue with Ms Fryer's billboard stance.
"But she shouldn't be telling businesses what they can and can't do - and what she doesn't seem to realise is, if the businesses don't get any income, the council doesn't get any rates from them," saidMs Tonkin.
Another of Ms Fryer's Burnley Tce neighbours - who did not want to be named - said the placard was "ruining our street".
"For someone who was vehemently opposed to businesses promoting themselves, yet saw no difference in promoting herselfin her campaign, seems a little ridiculous."
Burnley Tce is specified as "a conservation area within a special character residential zone" by Auckland City Council, and any work carried out on houses is subject to strict conditions.
When alerted by the Herald to neighbour dissatisfaction with the sign, Ms Fryer said she'd had it removed.
However, she said she saw no conflict between her billboard stance and her rights as a campaigning councillor.
"Although they [the neighbours] haven't complained to me personally, it's an issue that is important to them so I have taken the billboard down. I wouldn't like them to not be happy about it."
She maintained the billboard was within campaign laws.
"There are rules under the billboards bylaw obviously that apply to local body elections and I'll be sticking within them," she said.
Ms Fryer came under fire from the billboard industry and business groups this year over her stance of having billboards in the central Auckland area banned.
She slammed "really big, ugly billboards" in the city but denied being opposed to all billboards and signage.
In June, the Auckland City Council agreed to allow lawfully established billboards and most approved signs to remain.
It intends to work with the industry over five years to remove or modify those on heritage buildings or in special-character areas and gateways to the central city and Onehunga.
