As a storm of controversy swirls around election campaign roadside hoardings, long term Tauranga City Councillor Bill Faulkner's signage is weathering a very real storm.
Bill's novel approach to the advertising signs has taken to the high seas, and high they were indeed when the good ship 'Vote Bill' set sail this week.

All aboard the floating Bill Board: Cr Bill Faulkner sets his message on the harbour.

His bright yellow and purple signs have sailed around the controversy over candidate roadside advertising by being mounted on a floating platform, strategically positioned alongside Tauranga's busiest waterfront highways.
The five-metre long signs are bolted to the deck of an eight-metre, twin-hulled craft. It first appeared next to the Tauranga Harbour Bridge, tethered to a mooring, during the height of Friday's extreme weather.
Cr Faulkner says he chose the quirky advertising method to avoid the usual drama of road signs. Several campaigns previously, Bill was the first to use a large van sign-written with his election message. But he says "every man and his dog" are now doing that.

The floating 'Bill Board' is a way to keep his name in front of the voting public, without cluttering up the roads with more "election spam". Plus, he says, the floating billboard has been "a bit of fun".