Put the masking tape down and step away from that lamppost. In a somewhat bizarre move, Mordialloc’s Kingston Council has issued a ‘crackdown’ on those who illegally put up posters promoting live music events, concerts and gigs within The City of Kingston municipality in Melbourne’s south.
The Mordialloc Chelsea Leader reported yesterday that 18 year old councillor David Eden had successfully passed a motion that is set to wipe out poster advertisements by prosecuting those responsible for illegal bill posting.
In particular, Cr Eden has discriminated against music festival posters, which he says are at their worst along the Nepean Highway, where music events Summadayze and Future Music Festival were being advertised.
“I noticed… that as soon as some [posters] were being taken down, more were being put up,” Eden said, emphasising that: “We need to take action now.”
Said ‘action’ will come in the form of on-the-spot fines of $282, and a maximum penalty in court of up to a whopping $1,408, that will see the council use ‘all resources at it’s disposal’. Cr Eden and his Kingston constituents say the posters are perceived as an environmental hazard and have been noted for their financial burden on the council.“I noticed… that as soon as some [posters] were being taken down, more were being put up. We need to take action now.” – Councillor David Eden
Thankfully, a voice of reason entered the debate when Mordialloc Traders Association president Megan Thornton questioned the move to enforce concert promotion.
“Personally, I don’t mind the posters if they’re done well because I think they add to the culture of the area,” Thornton said. “Some of them are pretty amazing to look at because they’re made by some incredible designers.”
In addition to the aesthetic values of bill posting in the area, Thornton believes there are more pressing issues that the city could be focusing on. “The council should be putting its efforts into getting public toilets in Mordialloc as well as some Christmas decorations,” she said.
It isn’t the first time Cr Eden has faced opposition. In October this year, News Ltd reported that the young councillor had been subject to abuse in the lead up to local elections, even as extreme as death threats, in response to a smear campaign that linked Eden, an independent candidate, with the Australian Labor Party.
News of Cr Eden’s recent crusade against gig posters will perhaps do little for his popularity, although he remains undeterred, while Future Entertainment, which runs Summadayze and the Future Music Festival, are yet to comment on the issue.
Kingston Council is, somewhat unsurprisingly, the latest group to engage in wacky (arguably petty) vendettas against live music and the industry.
In October, The City of Port Phillip in Melbourne’s St Kilda enforced a ban on all types of amplified music being played outside of bars and restaurants in the beachside suburb of St Kilda, while over in Western Australia the complaints from local council in the Perth Town of Claremont against the Big Day Out have led to an enforcement from the state’s Environment Minister, resulting in noise level monitoring, and an early curfew that will see a drastic change in the playing times to the Perth Big Day Out.
