12 April, 2025

Photo-friendly ‘Devonport’ sign given go-ahead

Plans for a relocatable Hollywood-style sign for Devonport have won approval from the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board.
The Devonport Business Association (DBA) says it hopes to have it built and ready for events within a few months.
The $25,800 sign – spelling out Devonport in large letters that can be screwed into the ground – will be used to brand the area on a pop-up basis.
“It’s part of a wider effort to boost Devonport’s visibility, support local businesses, and create a stronger sense of place,” said the DBA’s general manager, Tabitha Coleman.
Local board members signed off on the project last month, allowing council staff to release a $20,000 grant previously allocated to the DBA to spend on an appropriate project of its choice. The DBA will pick up the rest of the tab.
The DBA’s past focus has been on using its annual Business Improvement District (BID) grant on staging community events, as is the case with grants for the Takapuna and Milford BIDs, but its board has decided marketing the area will be of most benefit to its members.
Coleman said the sign would be an economical way of attracting attention. She would work with event organisers, some of whom had already indicated interest in having it on display at events.
“It’s a shared asset for the community – something inclusive and inviting that provides a striking backdrop for events and a photogenic focal point for locals and visitors alike,” said Coleman. “This initiative is a smart, adaptable way to help put Devonport on the map and attract more day-trip visitors – one of the DBA’s core objectives.”
She said an image of the sign’s 1m-high white letters published in the last issue of the Flagstaff showed them as a blank canvas. But the plan allows for the letters to be given a vinyl wrap to vary colour and motifs and be lit in different ways to adjust the look for seasonal celebrations and cultural and community events.
“This approach keeps it fresh, inclusive and relevant – a sign that evolves with the community,” she said.
Board members, who grant landholder approval for use of public land, agreed that the sign would have high impact and versatility.
They questioned how it would be attached and noted it would be in use only for short periods on the likes of Windsor Reserve, rather than anchored anywhere permanently.
Security of the letters was also raised, but DBA representative Bruce Grant, who was at the board workshop where the matter was discussed, said they would be screwed deep into the ground and would take tools and effort to remove. Most events had security, he said.
Coleman said once the council money came through and sign design and productions timelines were finalised she hoped to have the sign in use within a few months. It would be made to be portable, lightweight and modular for easy storage.
“We can’t wait to see it out in the village – sparking pride, connection, and maybe even a few selfies.”