Greens in billboard blitz

The Green Party has joined the battle of the billboards with about 100 prepared for erection on the party's key campaign themes.

They are a little like National's split billboards in as much as they contrast a "good" and "evil" policy.

Campaign co-ordinator Russel Norman said they reflected what the Greens saw as the "real issues".

The billboards cover healthy food in schools; clean and secure energy; clean and safe water; public transport; keeping graduates in New Zealand; wildlife and a fair go for all.

One of the Green billboards is a special bid to encourage voters on the Maori roll to split their votes again.

There was a large amount of split voting in the Maori electorate last election - 48.09 per cent of voters on the Maori roll compared with 38.53 on the general roll.

Just over 10,000 of the Greens' 142,250 votes in the last election came from the seven Maori electorates.

Green MP Metiria Turei said the split-vote billboard was a play on an old proverb: "Ma whero, ma pango ka oti ai te mahi," which was about everyone working together to achieve their aim.

The strapline on the hoardings - Kei a koe te mana - meant "It's your power, your choice, your vote".

The Greens will launch their campaign in Takapuna on August 14.