Billboards on school grounds

Find information about billboards and political advertising on school grounds, and the statutory requirements you must follow.

Level of compliance Main audience Other

Required

  • Boards
  • Principals and Tumuaki
  • Parents, Caregivers and Whānau
  • Vendors

Boards can allow a billboard on school grounds for general advertising only. Boards may not display political advertising or billboards. An agreement is also required before a billboard goes up. 

Political advertising

Schools cannot show political party information. As a state agency, you need to be politically neutral and can’t encourage electors to vote or not vote for specific parties, policies or candidates.

You are allowed to display material encouraging staff and parents to vote, in general. 

To comply with State Service Commission requirements, you must not allow billboards, posters, pamphlets and other political party advertising material at the school.

Advertising billboards

If you decide to allow someone to put up a billboard on your school grounds, there are some things you should consider first.

Check with your local council that the billboard complies with all by-laws. The council will take into account possible danger to people and property, such as:

  • whether it might affect traffic safety
  • whether it’s obstructing the footpath or road
  • the effect on neighbouring buildings
  • whether the billboard is appropriate to the area.

Think about your local community and whether your school community would agree to putting up advertising billboards on the school grounds.

Make sure the advertising is appropriate for a school and that nothing offensive is displayed.

Get formal board agreement to put up the billboard at your next board meeting.

Use our standard agreement for a billboard

You must ask the person putting up the billboard to sign our standard casual use agreement. This must be in place before the billboard goes up.

Leasing or hiring land and buildings to third parties.

The agreement covers things like:

  • the school’s right to cancel the agreement, for example, if the community objects or if there's a change in school policy
  • the school not being liable for any damage to the billboard.

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