RSL ‘powerless' to stop billboard beside Sydney war memorial
A surge in outdoor advertising material – including on the sides of bus stops, rail bridges and buildings — is sparking concerns from community groups and councils over impacts to public amenity, road safety and the 'commercialisation' of public areas.
On Sydney's north shore, Willoughby Council says it has been left 'disappointed and deeply concerned' after losing a long-running fight to stop Transport for NSW from installing the electronic billboard on the side of a railway bridge close to the Garden of Remembrance in Chatswood.
While Transport for NSW has pledged to turn off the digital billboard during Anzac and Remembrance Day ceremonies, Willoughby Mayor Tanya Taylor wants the sign to be relocated, saying the council will 'not tolerate' the site 'being marred by the neon lights of advertising'.
Chatswood RSL sub-branch president Barney Flanagan said committee members had been 'powerless' to stop the billboard's installation from going ahead due to its location on a state government-owned site.
Willoughby Council is not the only council embroiled in a billboard battle. The City of Sydney last year was forced to spend $325,000 removing large street advertising signs in response to community concerns over the size of the signs and impacts on pedestrians.
Similar billboards proposed on footpaths in the North Sydney Council area have also faced community backlash, with public submissions calling the signs 'visual pollution'.
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