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The party of a senior NSW government minister is yet to take down a large campaign sign in his electorate despite the local council directly asking him to do so.
- The large sign promoting Dugald Saunders is clearly visible on Dubbo's busiest road
- The council says it's against their rules and has asked him to take it down
- Mr Saunders says he forwarded the request to National party headquarters
The retail billboard-sized advertisement telling drivers to "Just vote 1 Dugald Saunders" was erected on Dubbo's Cobra Street.
Mr Saunders, who is the Nationals Member for Dubbo and the Minister for Agriculture, is seeking re-election on March 25.
Dubbo Regional Council has confirmed it wrote to Mr Saunders a fortnight ago to advise him the board was non-compliant and asked him to remove it.
But the sign remained just one week from the NSW state election.
A council spokesperson said any sign bigger than 80cm squared required a development application and planning approval.
The sign was submitted without a development application, therefore breaching the State Environmental Planning Policy.
"Under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, council can issue orders for unauthorised signage to be removed," the council said in a statement.
"Council wrote to Mr Saunders on 6 March, advising the sign breached the exempt provisions and that it should either be removed or that Mr Saunders advise council in writing regarding his intentions regarding the matter."
Mr Saunders said the sign was put up by the Nationals head office, with no involvement on his part, and he had forwarded the request on.
"As the candidate I've been removed from that, and if that's caused any angst for people I apologise but that's my campaign office," he said.
"As the sitting member I expect people to throw rocks at me about silly things.
"I'd suggest that's just another one of those silly things people are throwing rocks about."
The ABC repeatedly asked Nationals headquarters if it planned to heed the request, if it had lodged development applications for any of its billboards or whether it was aware of the rules around signage.
But no response was received.
Dubbo Labor candidate Joshua Black said the Nationals should not be above the rules.
"I'd like Dugald to comply with the law," Mr Black said.
"There's this born-to-rule attitude that the National party seems to have, that anything goes.
"He really needs to comply with the laws."
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