Campaign advertising in Wodonga
There are regulations around advertising in public places under the Local Law 1/2014 and the planning scheme. Please note, permits are not issued in Wodonga for any form of political advertising in municipal places.
Our local laws can be found here and the relevant section of the planning scheme here.
Signage
Advertising material should not be placed on private property - on fences, boundaries or otherwise - without the landowner's permission.
No advertising signs can be placed or allowed to be placed on any road or council land including facilities and venues.
The planning scheme (section 52.05-4) covers restrictions around advertising as well as provisions for signs not requiring a permit.
Under the planning scheme, a sign that does not require a permit should not exceed five square metres and only one sign may be displayed on the land. It must not be an animated or internally illuminated sign and it must not be displayed longer than 14 days after the event is held or for three months, whichever is sooner. A sign publicising a local political event may include information about a candidate for an election.
Leaflets
A person must not, without a permit, in a municipal place or road, distribute to any person any advertising or promotional items or any printed material. This does not apply to letterbox drops which must be conducted in line with the
Safe Campaigning Guidelines during COVID-19.
The placement of flyers or similar material on motor vehicles is prohibited under the Environmental Protection Act.
Mobile signs and billboards
The state Department of Transport is responsible for managing advertising on vehicles travelling on public roads. The council is responsible for other activities that occur at fixed locations within the municipality.
Under the council's local law, vehicle and trailers with mobile billboards affixed of any type, such as variable message boards or illuminated signs, are not permitted to be parked in public places except by way of a permit which are generally only issued for local events and vending activity at times, but not for any form of political advertising in municipal places.
The local law states a mobile billboard cannot be placed on a road, road-related area or council land or any other location likely to interfere with the vision of a pedestrian or driver.
Use of public spaces
Wodonga Council has received a preliminary enquiry about booking council land and facilities to support a candidate’s election campaign. The enquiry related to the use of Junction Square.
While no formal application has been received yet, council advises all candidates that council public spaces may not be used or hired for these purposes.
The Local Government Act 2020 and the Council’s Election Period Policy prohibits the council from allowing its resources to be used in a way that is intended to influence, or is likely to influence, voting at the election.
Therefore it is the council’s decision that candidates will not be permitted to book council public spaces for the purposes of the election campaign nor to place candidate signs on council land or property.
This does not rule out the use of private property, with the permission of the owner or manager, by candidates for the purposes of campaigning
In line with the Election Period policy this provides an equitable outcome, whereby all candidates are treated equally.
Candidates are reminded to refer to the Safer Campaigning Guidelines under COVID-19 for their election campaign activities.
Dog attacks and the cost for the pound service
The dog attack number for the past five years are:
|
Dogs
|
2015/16
|
2016/17
|
2017/18
|
2018/19
|
2019/20
|
|
Complaints - dog attacks person
|
8
|
16
|
7
|
10
|
19
|
|
Complaints - dog attacks animal
|
34
|
40
|
38
|
38
|
56
|
The net cost for the pound service in 2019-2020 was $56,277, comprising contract payments of $80,193 for the service less $23,916 for costs recovered (returned dogs). You should also note that Albury Council is not the contractor.
The budget for this year has been increased by 6% to read $85,000 for costs (to pound operator for each pet that is impounded) and $26,500 cost recovered (fees paid by owners collecting their pets).
This would suggest the final cost for 20/21 – all being equal to last year - would be $59,653.