Political parties and candidates are being forced to remove a number of signs from Tauranga's streets after they breached Tauranga City Council election hoarding bylaws.

Tauranga City Council bylaws officer Paul Mason says eight signs have been removed from state highways, roundabouts and inner city streets due to their 'unsuitable locations”.

The variety of election hoardings along Cameron Road. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

Council officers were alerted to the breaches by complaints from opposing political parties, members of the public and council's own monitoring.

Paul says candidates must remove their own signs if when they are advised of a breach in rules. They can erect them in other locations provided within the rules.

Tauranga MP Simon Bridges has been asked by council to remove 'one or two” of his billboards on Cameron Road, between 7th Avenue and 9th Avenue, which he has now done.

Council are this year trialling two specific locations for election hoardings on Cameron Rd to establish whether they were suitable places for signs to be.

'They prefer for them to be in a couple of specified areas. So we had put them in different places in the median strip and then moved them to where council preferred to have them,” says Simon.

'I don't think we are in breach of anything because either they are allowed there or not, but council wanted them in two areas so we moved them.”

NZ First Tauranga candidate Clayton Mitchell says the party has not been contacted by council over the issue but is aware of some parties breaching the hoarding regulations.

'At least I understand that we haven't because we knew where we could and couldn't [put signs]. There has been a couple [of other parties] that I'm aware of that have been removed,” says Clayton.

'I haven't been contacted and I don't know of any of ours that have asked to be relocated, taken down or moved away.”

Paul says several candidate signs have accidentally been put on residents' fences and candidates were asked to remove them.

Signs have to be moved or removed at the cost of the candidate.

'Candidates have all been proactive about removing hoardings when asked,” says Paul.

Tauranga City Council's Street Use and Public Places Bylaw (clauses 7 and 8) stipulate no sign shall be placed within six metres of an intersection or roundabout, as measured from intersecting road boundaries.

Temporary signs can not be attached in any way to poles, fences, street furniture or other public utilities, or on any public place without the written permission of council.

Signs can be erected in public places, provided they adhere to the Electoral Act 1993 and associated regulations, as well as relevant council rules.

Under the Electoral Act signs can be up to 3m2 and be erected within two months of the general election date. Candidates must ensure signs are not a traffic hazard or danger to public safety. Damaged or defaced signs are the responsibility of the candidate or party.