Damaged Road Sign

There has been a concerning surge of vandalism targeting road signs across the district in recent weeks, particularly in the Malvern community.

This is jeopardising lives on our roads and we urge the community to be vigilant especially when approaching intersections.

Over 150 signs have been damaged, with 90% of these falling under the categories of regulatory (Stop or Give Way) or permanent warning signs (Curve/Intersection warning signs).

“Damaged signs pose a significant risk to road users who rely on them for crucial safety information”, Council’s Head of Operational Delivery, Gareth Morgan says.

“Due to the high volume of damaged signs and the limited supply of new posts, many signs are being temporarily reinstated using the damaged posts. While this may appear as a suboptimal solution, it ensures that the signs remain visible until our contractors can return with new posts and, in some instances, new signs,” he says.

Permanent warning and regulatory signs play a vital role in notifying motorists about potential dangers ahead, and tampering with these signs can have severe consequences, including life-threatening situations.

Local police are actively involved in addressing this issue and regularly report missing signs, especially Stop signs, which pose the greatest danger to motorists. However, identifying those responsible remains a challenging task.

Council urges the community to report any damaged signs promptly and anyone witnessing sign damage or possessing information about potential vandals are strongly encouraged to report such incidents to the local Police.

To report sign damage, please contact 0800 SELWYN (735 996). Or use the Snap Send Solve App on your Smartphone.

Last modified: 19 Jan 2024 1:28pm