Perth Voice Interactive

THE City of Perth has given outdoor media companies an extra two square metres to hang advertising on the walls of CBD buildings, but has stood firm on shrinking street furniture signage by half.

At its last monthly meeting, the council adopted a revised signage policy, despite complaints from the Outdoor Media Association that it might deter its members from further investment in the city.

OMA CEO Elizabeth McIntyre addressed the agenda briefing session arguing a proposed maximum of 18sqm for signs on building walls would discourage reinvestment in upgrading signage, as most companies wouldn’t digitise signs below about 18.6 metres.

Ms McIntyre also pointed out that the city’s street furniture and bus shelter network would fall foul of new rules limiting their signs to just one square metre.

“Do councillors want a council contract that does not comply with its own policy,” she said.

“Our members contributed $64 million to the state economy last year and built and maintained important and much-used public infrastructure items such as street furniture and bus shelters valued at $23m.

“This contribution comes at no cost to ratepayers and they play a key role in place making, city activation and connecting the community.

“Digital advertising signs in particular also reinforce the city’s identity as the City of Light.”

Commercialisation

oOh!media director of operations Michael Kelly said Perth’s proposed policy was a “step apart” from other capital cities, particularly the limits on street furniture signage.

“In terms of the commercialisation of Perth assets in the future as well, there’d be a different sized sign compared to the rest of the country which would then impact how the industry sells and monetises, and there provides commercial returns to Perth,” Mr Kelly said.

He said the other alternative was for the companies to provide custom-made signs just for Perth, which would be more expensive and make it difficult to sell the city to big advertisers.

Ms McIntyre said it could also stifle any further growth of the City’s bus shelter network.

“We need a policy that is flexible and accommodates various established industry standard sizes,” she said.

Despite quipping that outdoor media companies would light up every inch of every building given the chance, lord mayor Basil Zempilas moved an amendment that would give the industry 18sqm metres to play with on wall signs.

“We’re very conscious of the fact that some of the great attractions of some of the great cities in the world is their digital signage,” Mr Zempilas told the chamber.

But like the majority of his colleagues he was unmoved by a proposed amendment from councillor David Goncalves to stick with the current two square metre signs on street furniture, and the motion was lost 2-5.

by STEVE GRANT