Serial sign poster off to court

A person who persisted in displaying signs on council property will face court after copping 56 fines totalling more than $16,000 from Moreton Bay Regional Council in less than two months.

The person was issued the infringement notices for placing signs on Council property between October 17 and December 8 last year, after Council officers gave them multiple warnings.

While the maximum penalty for each breach of Moreton Bay Regional Council Local Law No. 4 (Local Government Controlled Areas and Roads) is $2875 – meaning the person could have faced fines totalling $161,000 - each fine issued to the person by Council was $287 – coming to a total of $16,072.

Rather than pay the fines, the person has asked Council to take the matter to court.

Willful disregard for cautions

An officers’ report tabled at the January 25 Council meeting said enforcement action was taken “because the signs are visually unattractive and deter from the visual amenity of the area (and) the signs are placed on high volume public roads presenting a public risk to drivers that may be distracted by them.

“Specifically, the person persists in placing advertising signs on Council owned road reserves and/or attaching signs to Council owned infrastructure,” the report said.

“The person has demonstrated a wilful disregard for Council’s cautions and chosen to continue the prohibited activity, fully cognisant of the consequences of continuing to undertake a prescribed activity.”

Councillors voted unanimously in favour of taking court action, with a date for the hearing yet to be set.