Electronic Advertising Policy
Mareeba Shire Council 19 Oct 2020

Council has introduced an electronic advertising device policy as part of the Planning Scheme 2016.

Mayor Angela Toppin said changing trends in the advertising industry had seen a rise in the use of digital advertising signage elsewhere, and it was appropriate that Council moved to adopt a policy for the assessment of an application for digital advertising signage. “This policy is to ensure that appropriate guidance material is available for future digital advertising signage applications to be considered by Council,” Cr Toppin said.

The primary causes for concern with the use of digital advertising signage are moving imagery and the luminance or brightness factor that can contribute to visual and cognitive distractions for the driver and road user.

“This policy will ensure that the electronic signs are not distracting to road users and complements the characteristics of the natural and build environment,” Cr Toppin explained.

The guidelines restrict advertisements from displaying text, photographs or symbols that could be reasonably interpreted as a traffic control device. Additionally, the display must not be in colour combinations such as black and yellow to avoid being mistaken as a traffic control device.

Messages must also remain static for a minimum of eight seconds and not scroll across the digital display or incorporate flashing, blinking, revolving, pulsating, high-contrast, or rotating effects animation and changeovers must be seamless.

The Planning Scheme Policy 10 – Advertising Devices with an Electronic Display Component will be available on Council’s website under Planning.

Council has introduced an electronic advertising device policy as part of the Planning Scheme 2016.

Mayor Angela Toppin said changing trends in the advertising industry had seen a rise in the use of digital advertising signage elsewhere, and it was appropriate that Council moved to adopt a policy for the assessment of an application for digital advertising signage. “This policy is to ensure that appropriate guidance material is available for future digital advertising signage applications to be considered by Council,” Cr Toppin said.

The primary causes for concern with the use of digital advertising signage are moving imagery and the luminance or brightness factor that can contribute to visual and cognitive distractions for the driver and road user.

“This policy will ensure that the electronic signs are not distracting to road users and complements the characteristics of the natural and build environment,” Cr Toppin explained.

The guidelines restrict advertisements from displaying text, photographs or symbols that could be reasonably interpreted as a traffic control device. Additionally, the display must not be in colour combinations such as black and yellow to avoid being mistaken as a traffic control device.

Messages must also remain static for a minimum of eight seconds and not scroll across the digital display or incorporate flashing, blinking, revolving, pulsating, high-contrast or rotating effects animation and changeovers must be seamless.

The Planning Scheme Policy 10 – Advertising Devices with an Electronic Display Component will be available on Council’s website under Planning.