After a Richmond business spoke out against a ban on advertising flags, members of the blind and low-vision community have praised Tasman District Council for the rule.
Karen Wilson, a member of Blind Low Vision New Zealand, thanked the council for being a leader in accessibility during a meeting of the region’s accessibility forum yesterday.
“For us, being able to go into a shop and spend our money is a priority – for the shopkeepers and for us.
“Being able to walk down a footpath and know that we aren’t going to have a flag fall in front of us, hit us in the face, or even fall out into the road and cause an accident, it makes me feel happier.”
Advertising flags have always been prohibited under Tasman’s planning rules, but the updated bylaw, which was adopted in November 2024, made the ban more explicit.
Retailers are now limited to just one display, a sandwich board, which must be placed against the kerb to leave 1.8m of unobstructed footpath.
A complete ban on sandwich boards had been considered.
During consultation on the draft of the bylaw, blind and low-vision residents described flags as “the worst” form of retail display because they were unpredictable.
“They are a definite hazard for us,” added fellow Blind Low Vision NZ member Rodger Curry.
“We’ve actually been chasing this for the last five years.”
He urged the council to follow through and enforce its bylaw.
But the flag ban was being opposed by café Coffee on Queen, which was being supported by business association Richmond Unlimited and around 20 other local retailers.
Owner Matt Redwood attributed about $200 to $300 of sales daily to his flag, which allowed him to keep up to four workers employed.
“I’ve never seen anyone in five years hit this [flag].”
He said he didn’t understand how displaying a flag on the kerb, alongside his sandwich board, would obstruct members of the blind and low-vision community who tended to walk alongside the storefront, which helped them navigate.
“They’re not walking out [by the kerb], because there are sandwich boards all the way down. So, I just struggle with that… they don’t walk in this part of the road, they never have.”
Redwood said he has driven around the Richmond CBD and seen close to two dozen flags being displayed by various businesses.
The bylaw needed to be enforced equally for all, he said.
“Or go back to how it was: just turn a blind eye to it. You had for five years, so why not carry on? It hasn’t affected anybody, and businesses have been thriving, now we’ve got empty buildings on the street.”
The flag ban and sandwich board placement rules affected only the public footpath.
Businesses were allowed to erect retail displays on private property, such as alcoves at their entrance.
Richmond Ward councillor Glen Daikee was Tasman District Council’s representative on the Regional Accessibility Forum.
At yesterday’s meeting, he highlighted that businesses had been consulted and the council received some “strong-worded” submissions from those opposed to a complete sandwich board ban.
“If [others] chose not to put in a submission, that’s unfortunate,” he said.
“You can’t please everyone all the time, and we’ve made this bylaw, and so we’re going to enforce it.”
Non-compliant retailers displaying a flag risked a $500 fine, although the council has said it prioritised working alongside the community to support compliance before undertaking enforcement action.
The bylaw would be reviewed in four years.
Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air