Campaign for control of rural hoardings

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 38188, 30 March 1973, Page 14

Campaign for control of rural hoardings

The Political Renewal Group, based in Christchurch, is campaigning for the Government to introduce legislation for the “control and general elimination of commercial hoardings on rural land.”

The secretary of the group, Mr N. A. Griffith, this week posted submissions in support of such legislation to the Ministers of Railways (Mr McGuigan), Environment (Mr Walding), Tourism (Mrs Tirikatene-Sullivan) and Transport (Sir Basil Arthur). The group, which says it is independent of political parties, wrote to several candidates before the General Election last year asking them to declare a policy on hoardings on rural land.

, Mr Griffith questioned Mr t McGuigan on the subject on - television last month on the > ground that the Railways Der partment was the chief r offender. Mr McGuigan said s that 153 hoardings would go i from Railway's land in rural . areas this year, and all would t go within five year as leases 1 came up for renewal. ■ “TOO SLOW” 1 The group, in its submis- ?: sions this week, says that this ’is too slow, and that as .[hoardings on Railways land [are cancelled they may well [appear on nearby farmland. [The group says there are 107 [hoardings, most on Railways[ ■ | land, in the 42 miles from] (Templeton to Ashburton! [along the Main South Road.! i The group wants all Rail-! [ways hoarding leases termi-! [nated promptly by negotia-! [tion; controlling legislation;! authority for the National] Roads Board to erect standard format signs near pub-| lie utilities — garages, tea-' rooms, gate stalls for farm| produce and so on; and a[ general prohibition of all signs on rural sites that have[ [no relation to the product; [ advertised