By ANEEKA SIMONIS
CARDINIA Shire Council has knocked back a major roadside advertisement proposed for Pakenham.
The double-sided sign, pitched to be more than 40 square metres in size, was planned for private land on the corner of Racecourse Road and Campbell Street in Pakenham.
Councillors refused the application for the major promotional signage, agreeing it would impact the area’s amenity and create distractions for road users, at a town planning meeting on Monday 5 October.
The council’s development and compliance services manager Brett Jackson said the proposed sign, which was larger than any advertisement sign within the shire, did not comply with the Advertising Standards Board.
“(Councillors) determined the sign would have an unacceptable impact on the visual amenity of the area and create clutter, in an area that acts as a gateway to Pakenham,” he said.
It is unclear what the sign proposed to advertise, though council documents outlined the applicant, Salvestro Planning, intended to regularly change the content of the sign.
It is believed the sign would have featured government-based promotional campaigns throughout the rotation.
The rejection follows a similar decision made by the council in regards to a major proposed advertisement sign for the Bald Hill Road area.
The council rejected the large advertisement sign, a decision later affirmed by VCAT, as it also presented similar issues in the Pakenham area undergoing significant renewal and redevelopment.
“The proposal for a major promotion sign is inconsistent with State and council policy and will prejudice the character and future development of the area,” the town planning document read.
