'Oppressive' bylaw likely to be abandoned

The Queenstown Lakes District Council is likely to back down from its proposal to place strict limitations on printed material vending boxes after an outcry from publishers.

At a hearing on the Control of Activities and Obstructions in Public Places Bylaw yesterday, newspaper publishers, the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce and Remarkables Park Ltd spoke on their submissions to the proposal.

The proposal aims to tighten up the effects of trading, advertising and obstructions in public places in the district and targets rules around busking, mobile food outlets, distribution of pamphlets and printed material vending containers.

The bylaw had proposed placing restrictions on the size, colour and design of the containers and only material that would "provide information beneficial to the general public" could be made available.

Thirty-six submissions were received; 26 in opposition, seven in support and two neutral. One was withdrawn.

After reviewing the submissions, monitoring and compliance officer Peter Daly recommended removing the proposed restrictions on printed material vending containers from the bylaw.

This pleased many of the submittors who had objected to the draft and had labelled the bylaw "oppressive" and "overzealous".

Mountain Scene publisher Richard Thomas said he was concerned newspapers had not been invited to a "stakeholder" workshop with councillors in October to discuss the proposal.

Lakes district and Central Otago regional manager Donovan Percy questioned the wording that material should be "beneficial" to the community, arguing it could infringe on the freedom of the press.

The wording needed to be defined and had come across in the draft as "Mugabe tactics", he said.

A final draft of the bylaw will go to the council for approval at its meeting next month.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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