Signage

Council has endorsed supporting Signage Guidelines which, whilst not binding, provide guidance for applicants seeking to erect signage.

The Guidelines seek to ensure signage is appropriate to the surrounding locality and visual and landscape amenity, giving reference to commercial signs, residential property signs, community activity signs, real estate signs and directional signs.

Our intent is not to penalise non-compliance, however we reserve the right to remove a sign in certain situations based on its condition, design or positioning, or because it causes an obstruction or safety hazard. Council reserves the right to recover any reasonable costs incurred by removing, storing or disposing of the sign.

Costs for the design, supply, installation and maintenance of a sign provided by Council on behalf of an applicant are at the applicant’s cost, based on Council’s fees and charges register or, where not stated, based on a quote for Council’s reasonable costs.

Signs erected more than 3 years prior to the adoption of this Policy, whether compliant or non-compliant with the draft Policy, may remain at Council’s discretion.

However, Council maintains the right to replace or remove any sign installed on Council land (including any road under its control) where there is a legitimate reason to do so. This may include the condition of the sign, the operational status of the facility the sign relates to, or where signs need to be co-located in an alternative location.

The Policy specifies appropriate and inappropriate signage types:

Appropriate signage types on Council land include township and tourist attraction signs; interpretive and trail signs; community information signs and notice boards; and town banners promoting community and temporary events. This is not an exhaustive list, so please refer to the Policy for more information.

To regulate the location and type of community information signs and temporary event signs, Council has developed Location Guidelines. The Location Guidelines identify specific locations in townships where temporary community signage can be erected without need for a moveable signs permit. It also contains conditions around size, appearance, maintenance and duration of signage.

Examples of appropriate signage types include community messaging boards, town entry signage, road sign guidelines, Council street banners, Council Boundary signs and German name references.

Inappropriate signage types on Council land include commercial advertising signs; hoardings and billboards; real estate signs (other than mobile open inspection signs); parked vehicles or trailers displaying advertising; and variable messaging displays (except where authorised for community information or a temporary event). This is not an exhaustive list, so please refer to the Policy for more information.

Examples of inappropriate signage types include billboard signs, variable sign messaging, business signs and trailer signs.

We reserve the right to approve or refuse signage on our land. A sign authorised under the Policy, whether temporary or permanent, is subject to such conditions as Council thinks fit, as well as any applicable by-laws.

With a few exceptions, no sign can be erected on the road without Council consent.

The Signage Guidelines approved by Council provides direction on specific examples and consents required. In some circumstances, development approval is required.