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More than 1500 people have contacted Auckland City Council to voice their opposition to the proposed ban on billboards and new rules for signs.
The council said the high number of responses to its consultation - 1700 in total - had forced it to deal with the two issues separately.
Nearly 1000 people opposed the billboards bylaw, 250 expressed opposition to the signs bylaw, and a further 270 opposed both.
Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett has said he conservatively estimated 75 per cent of billboards in Auckland would become illegal under the proposed bylaws, damaging property values and the city's business-friendly image.
Councillor Glenda Fryer says considering the two bylaws separately made sense because the "huge" number of submissions would mean a heavy workload.
She said: "It's sensible to split that workload between two people to ensure that we get the best outcome for all concerned."
About 110 submissions were lodged in support of the proposed billboards bylaw, 70 in support of the proposed signs bylaw and around 30 in support of both.
The managing director of Artcraft Signs, Roger Hawkins, has previously said the average small business spent $7000 on signs and larger businesses spent upwards of $20,000 on illuminated signs.
The billboard industry fears the ban could spread to 575 sites across the city and lead to the loss of hundreds of jobs. Billboards have gone up attacking anti-billboard politicians.
Around 400 people have asked to speak at the hearing to consider the two bylaws, which begins on Aptil 16 and is expected to last for around 10 days.
- NZHERALD STAFF / NZPA
