The final policy was presented at the December council meeting but Cr Anthony Brophy moved it be adopted with a paragraph preventing covering or diminishing the value of existing sponsorship signs.
Instead Cr Brophy sought to insert a line that permitted coverage for higher level competition when it was televised or professionally live-streamed after January, 2023.
“What I’m proposing is an agreement that will provide national marketing opportunities,” he said.
Cr Geoff Dobson supported the proposal as reflecting the commercial reality that higher level teams had their own partnerships and sponsor expectations.
“Their backers, their partners would expect to see their signs on national television,” he said.
“We’ve never been able to get agreement from various parties for council to make a more inclusive decision, there will be winners and losers, there will be some who have signs covered over.”
With no other councillor seeking to speak, council’s chief executive Peter Harriott raised concerns with the motion which he said had the effect of councillors directing staff, rather than the chief executive.
“I think you are putting us in a difficult situation if you are asking us to authorise the covering of signs that may be under a contract or some sort of arrangement between separate parties,” he said.
“I think at least at minimum you need to get some legal advice in relation to the motion you are trying to put today because I think it has some issues.”
Mayor Kim O’Keeffe suggested laying the item on the table for a future meeting but there were no takers.
Cr Fern Summer disagreed that the motion overstepped the separation of councillors from operational matters.
“We are trying to address the issues, we are not directing staff, we are changing items within a policy,” she said.
Cr O’Keeffe then echoed the concerns about the motion and the need to seek legal advice.
“I’d actually like some legal advice in relation to the contracts,” she said.
When the motion was lost, Cr Sam Spinks, who had foreshadowed moving a motion if the motion was defeated tried to move it be laid on the table, but was informed it had been dealt with, and the option was no longer available.
Cr Spinks then attempted to formulate a new motion on the adoption of the policy but eventually withdrew.
The policy is now likely to be re-presented at a future meeting.
