Signage Guidelines

Napier's Art Deco Quarter is an important heritage area. Today the heritage value of the city is widely appreciated by locals and visitors alike. Napier City Council has reviewed the city's signage policy as part of a periodic heritage evaluation.

Signs are a vital part of the city, providing information and direction. Well designed signs add vitality and enhance the cityscape. However, poorly designed signs detract from the experience of the city. Because signs are intended to attract attention, they are often placed in prominent locations where they can be seen by as many people as possible. This can cause conflict in a heritage area, obscuring building features and dominating the streetscape.

Napier's Art Deco Quarter is widely recognised as a significant heritage area and the most common negative comments about the inner city relate to the impact of signs on heritage values. It is important to respect Napier's rich visual history when undertaking redevelopment of signage and ensure it remains sympathetic to the key principles of Art Deco design.

The Council has developed the Signage Guidelines to assist business owners and sign writers to design signs in keeping with the Art Deco heritage values of the CBD. The principles contained in the guidelines can however be applied to other heritage buildings within the city. Napier City Council encourages all business owners to have signage which is consistent with the character and appearance of Art Deco architecture.

• Download a copy of the Signage Guidelines here (pdf 3MB)
• Download a copy of a the Signage Guidelines Overview flyer here (pdf 1MB)
• Download FAQ's for the Signage Guidelines (pdf 731kb)

Assistance Programme

Free design advice is available and financial support is offered to encourage business owners within the CBD Heritage Precinct to upgrade their signage. Napier City Council will rebate 20% of the total design and installation cost of your new signage up to a maximum of $500 + GST.

• Download Incentives Flyer (pdf 1MB)

Requirements / Conditions

To be eligible for this rebate, an application must be made and approved by the Napier City Council prior to the design or development of new signage.

• Download Application Form (pdf 491kb)

A condition of receiving the rebate is that you will permanently relinquish any moveable footpath signage with the agreement that you will not replace that sign with any other.

A license fee will also be introduced for footpath signs in the CBD heritage precinct from Jan 2010.

Further Information

David Bishop (General Information)
Paul O'Shaughnessy (Resource Consents)

Planning Department, 2nd Floor, Library Building, Station Street, Private Bag 6010, Napier 4142

Phone: (06) 835 7579 Fax: (06) 835 7574