Local councils are authorised to name public and private roads and streets. This includes changing a name. Before renaming a road or  street, you will need to consider the effect on the community. A proposal should be submitted to the council for that area in the first instance.

Council guidelines for naming roads

Who needs to be notified

The public must be given notice of a new name or a change to an existing name.

Relevant councils must be given 2 months notice of the change if the road runs into their areas.

You must also notify the following offices as soon as the change is finalised:

  • Surveyor-General
  • Registrar-General
  • Valuer-General

Assign or rename a road

The council needs to:

  1. Email LSGRoad_AddressNotification@sa.gov.au to gain access to the forms – password-protected.
  2. Complete the relevant form:
  3. Send the form to Land Services SA

    Email

    LSGRoad_AddressNotification@sa.gov.au

    Post

    Land Services SA 
    GPO Box 543 
    Adelaide SA 5001

    In Person

    Level 9 
    101 Grenfell Street 
    Adelaide SA 5000

Naming outback roads

Most outback roads have been renamed to assist:

  • emergency services – for example, help ambulances find properties
  • with service delivery – for example, provide a recognised address that can be understood nationally.

Rural road maps showing proposed names

How names are chosen

Renaming outback roads used these principles:

  • remove two directional names – for example, Iron Knob-Puddle Holes Dam Road
  • the name of the furthest homestead from the main road can be used to rename the entire road
  • the council's road name is used when an outback road continues into a council area – for example, Yednalue Road.

Road signs

Existing signage to homesteads will remain. New signs for renamed roads are being installed when the existing sign is replaced as part of routine road maintenance.

Roads not named by council

Roads outside council districts are under the care of the Highways Commissioner.

Some private roads still exist but could be declared public under the Local Government Act 1999 .


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Page last updated 29 August 2022

Provided by:
Department for Trade and Investment
URL:
https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/housing/planning-and-property/suburb-road-and-place-names/road-naming
Last Updated:
29/08/22
Printed on:
20/04/24
Copyright statement:
SA.GOV.AU is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Licence. © Copyright 2024
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