AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

MEDIA RELEASE

2 October 2006

No junk mail please

Auckland City Council has approved a new solid waste bylaw that introduces tighter restrictions for the distribution of advertising material, otherwise known as junk mail.

The council is required to review all its bylaws before July 2008 to ensure they meet the needs of a growing city.

The revised solid waste bylaw introduces new provisions making it an offence to:

 place advertising material in letterboxes that are already full of mail or other advertising material

 place unsolicited mail, leaflets, circulars, brochures or flyers into letterboxes clearly marked “no junk mail”

 place advertising material on vehicles in public places.

Those who breach these provisions of the new bylaw face being prosecuted and a maximum fine of $5000.

The chairperson of the council’s Planning and Regulatory committee, Councillor Glenda Fryer, says submissions received on the bylaw highlighted concerns about junk mail.

“The new rules respond to these submissions and to calls for tighter restrictions. People were concerned about “no junk mail” signs being ignored and letterboxes being overfilled.

“The new provisions in the bylaw don’t rule out unaddressed mail entirely, they simply apply more control.

“Junk mail that’s shoved into an already full letter box is more likely to fall out or blow away and create litter on our streets,” Ms Fryer says.

The bylaw also introduces a new licensing system for all collectors, transporters and disposers of waste, who handle more than 20 tonnes of solid waste each year.

The draft solid waste bylaw was publicly notified on 4 June 2006 and the submission period closed 7 July 2006. A hearing was held on 7 August where a panel of councillors heard from seven verbal submitters.

Ms Fryer says, “After more than a month of public consultation, submissions were received covering a wide range of areas and taken into careful consideration. We are very grateful for this feedback.”

Ms Fryer says the new bylaw also states that every household is entitled to a waste collection service and will continue to be supplied with bins for both waste and recyclable materials.

The new solid waste bylaw replaces the previous refuse bylaw and most of the provisions contained in the refuse bylaw are carried over into the new bylaw.

The next bylaws to go out for public consultation are the signs, billboards, public places and street trading bylaws.

ENDS

© Scoop Media