MOUNT Gambier City Council has foreshadowed removing red tape around its use of variable message display units to promote community events.
Council has identified eight key locations around the Blue Lake city where the units could be used without development approval, a current regulatory requirement.
The introduction of specific points would allow council to bypass the approval process, which can take three months.
If passed by council later this month, development approval will no longer be needed to place the signs at Frew Park, the visitor information centre, information bays on Jubilee Highway West, Penola Road and Jubilee Highway East, the Mount Gambier Railway Lands, the Blue Lake roundabout and the Civic Centre carpark.
The promotional units can be erected up to seven days before an event and must be removed within one day of the event’s finish.
During Monday’s committee meeting, councillor Frank Morello welcomed the idea.
“Seems like a reasonable idea to me – it removes the red tape and makes it easier for people to promote their events and reduces the work load for council staff to process development approval applications,” he said.
Cr Jenner suggested the report name the Community and Recreation Hub and the Main Corner for events like Fringe Festival as extra sites.
However, it was determined a similar visual message display system would be built into the hub site, while the sign can be used without approval for the Fringe given it advertises a road closure in the area.
Chief executive officer Andrew Meddle said council owned a number of display units but could also hire the units locally.
The report will be brought to this month’s full council meeting on February 18.
