Three Lismore Mayoral candidates have united to publicly call for the immediate removal of prominent signage that they say has been illegally installed by another candidate’s team.
Council has strict rules about what you can and can’t do as far as election signage goes – including the size, where they are hung, when they can be hung and when they must be removed.
Penalty infringement notices and fines
The Council notification also outlined a schedule of fines including a penalty infringement notice for $330 may be issued for signage placed without approval or contravening the regulations, a notice for $572 may be issued for signage in a road reserve that poses a safety issue and a penalty infringement notice for $3,000 (individual) or $6000 (corporation) can be issued for carrying out a development without consent, including the placement of unlawful signage.
Labor candidate Darlene Cook, Elly Bird from Our Sustainable Future and Vanessa Ekins from the Greens say the signs for candidate Steve Krieg are just not on.
Elly Bird said that two weeks ago, Council notified all candidates of the requirements around election signage. ‘All candidates were clearly told that legislation around election signage stipulates that signage is not allowed to be larger than 0.8m2 and that it cannot be displayed earlier than five weeks out from the election.
‘Candidates were requested to immediately comply by removing illegal signage.’
Ms Bird said that Our Sustainable Future and Labor had put up signage on bus shelters that they thought was compliant. ‘And some excited Greens supporters had put up one or two signs but as soon as we were notified they were quickly removed.’
‘Steve Krieg’s team were notified at exactly the same time as us but their signage is still there, and not only is it still in place but they have put up more that are clearly not compliant.’
Oversized signs all over the community
Ms Bird says they put up oversized signs all over the community two full weeks earlier than is legally allowed and didn’t take any of them down when they were requested to do so. ‘They are still up, and they shouldn’t be.’
Darlene Cook says that not only is this poor behaviour in response to Council directives, it is sending a clear message to the community that this group does not believe rules and regulations should apply to them. ‘On Friday afternoon there was finally a laughable attempt made to comply with the placement of thin masking tape gridlines being stuck across one side of one of the non-compliant signs. Within minutes it was falling off.
Bending the rules
‘This is clearly an attempt to bend the rules so they can retain their illegal signage.’
Vanessa Ekins says that if this is their response when they are asked to comply with regulations that were clearly outlined to all prospective candidates, it doesn’t bode well if they are elected to Council.
‘Steve Krieg should immediately remove his non-compliant signage, and if he doesn’t then it’s clear that he and his team think that they are a law unto themselves and we should all be very concerned about their ability to stick to the rules if they are elected to Council.’
Recent stories, information and updates regarding the Lismore Elections
Lismore’s signature food, arts and culture festival, Norco Eat the Street, is making its highly anticipated return to the CBD on Saturday, 22 August 2026.
Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin is encouraging local councils and rugby union clubs to take advantage of an opportunity to upgrade their facilities, player pathways and increase local participation. Young people will take centre stage in Lismore this Friday when the HalveIt Festival brings student sustainability pitches to decision-makers in what organisers are calling 'part innovation expo, part community festival.' The future of Lismore is now up for discussion, with Council's Strategic Planning Framework currently out for public exhibition. Now is your time to have your say – consultation closes 26 June. The Lismore Rainforest Botanic Gardens is a calm, quiet, soothing place to stroll, relax, and recharge. Be still and some of the one hundred species of birds will shyly share their beautiful haven with you. Around hundred residents met at the Lismore Quad on Saturday to demand the demolitions of heritage homes cease, the flood recovery promised is delivered, and that every person be housed. Wyrallah and Coraki Roads will soon have 15km of road surface restored, as part of ongoing disaster recovery works across Lismore’s rural road network. Northern Rivers locals and flood-impacted residents will gather in Lismore this Saturday to demand the NSW Reconstruction Authority stop demolishing heritage homes and deliver on broken promises, as community anger at the failed flood recovery reaches a new peak. Parklands, community hubs and environmental projects are some of the new options allowed for floodplains left vacant after the removal of ‘buyback’ houses on the Northern Rivers. In the latest version of the classic Tennessee Williams play, audiences are invited to step back in time to 1937 St Louis.
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Consultation closes Friday on Lismore’s 60,000 population plans
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Lismore rallies to save homes from demolition
Major repairs for Lismore roads
Community to rally against ‘relentless’ RA house demolitions
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