KEY POINTS:
A plan to ban billboards from Auckland city centre has passed its first test of fire and will go to public consultation early next year.
Despite heavy public criticism of the plan, the Auckland City Council last night endorsed by 14 votes to 5 a timetable which will see the draft bylaw come back to the council for adoption next May.
However, councillors agreed that officers should meet with the advertising signs industry to discuss the proposed bylaw.
The bylaw would have banned billboards in the central city from Hobson St across to Anzac Ave, Britomart, Karangahape Rd and the Viaduct Harbour.
It would also order the removal of billboards from retail strips such as Newmarket, Ponsonby, Parnell, Otahuhu and around the Valley Rd shops in Dominion Rd.
The idea was to remove giant pictures such as All Black Dan Carter in underwear so people could appreciate buildings, heritage and natural landscape instead.
It was argued that the ban would make Auckland an "international city".
But the plan was attacked by the advertising signs industry and criticised by most people who contacted the Herald.
At a planning and regulatory committee meeting yesterday, members Doug Armstrong, Noelene Raffills and Tony Millar sought a slower pace for the bylaw progress.
Mr Armstrong said adopting the bylaw for consultation should be deferred to allow time to gather more information to improve the draft.
"But there is an obvious desire to have the bylaw in place before the October elections.
"I reckon there should be another phase where industry is sounded out, and we could draft something that would be a win-win for both parties, and also take into account implications for businesses who rely on advertising to support their businesses in the difficult environment of Downtown Auckland.
"Instead the industry representatives were told they could put their objections in later when submissions were called."
A meeting of the full council endorsed the committee's suggestion.
