Advertising and activities on road reserves
A road reserve is the public land beyond your property. It can include the road, footpath, nature strips, roadside, drains and kerb.
Any advertising and activities in road reserves must be safe, properly maintained and suitable for the area.
They must not disrupt:
- road users
- temporary roadworks or
- public utilities.
When you need a permit
For government-managed road reserves, you must follow certain rules. This includes applying for a permit in most cases.
Check roads managed by the NT Government.
Before you apply for a permit, you must read the advertising and activities in NT Government road reserves guidelines PDF (6.0 MB)
The guidelines also explain how to apply for a permit and when permits are required.
When you don't need a permit
In some cases, you don’t need to apply for a permit to advertise or conduct activities.
You don’t need a permit from the NT Government if the road reserve is owned or controlled by:
- local government
- private individuals
- Aboriginal entities.
You may need another kind of permit or follow specific rules for the following:
- parking a vehicle for sale in an area designated as outlined in the guidelines
- roadside memorials - you must apply to place a memorial on a road
- holding one-off community events such as a parade - you must apply for a permit for a road event
- construction activities - you must apply for a permit to work in the road reserve
- election signage - read the election signage policy on the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics website
- real estate signage - read the rules on real estate advertising.
Requirements
Depending on what you'd like to do, you must meet the following requirements.
Advertise in road reserves
To advertise in a road reserve, you must meet the advertising criteria.
For urban areas, advertising permits are limited to selected zones. Refer to the guidelines for these locations or the interactive map on the online permit application.
Other requirements
When you apply, you will need the following supporting information:
- image of the sign
- engineered design of the sign and structure - use:
- the relevant civil standard drawing (either CS-3519, CS-3520 or CS-3521) from the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics (DIPL) website or
- your own engineered design.
You remain responsible for maintaining advertising signage and materials.
You must fix any sign that needs maintenance. If you don’t, it will be removed.
You must not access signs within the road reserve without a permit to work in the road reserve.
Pay renewal fees
You must pay renewal fees to continue advertising in road reserves.
If you don’t pay the fees, or follow the guidelines, the signage will be removed.
Activities in road reserves
You must make sure that activities for the sale or exchange of goods or services are safe and the area remains tidy.
The following rules apply:
- you must have and maintain adequate public liability insurance
- activities must not cause a traffic hazard by:
- distracting road users or
- attempting to attract the attention of drivers other than approved static signage
- you are liable for any risk associated with activities within the road reserve
- motorists must be able to access and exit sites safely
- vehicles used must be registered and the registration maintained.
All activities must comply with the guidelines.
If you don’t follow the guidelines, your permit may be cancelled.
When you apply, you will need the following supporting information:
- business or charity information
- insurance – certificate of currency
- image of any vehicles or stalls
- image or details of any signs to be used.
Apply for a permit
Before you apply for a permit, you must read the guidelines.
By applying for a permit, you agree to accept and comply with:
- the requirements specified in the guidelines
- any other conditions stated in any permit granted to you.
Fees and charges may apply.
Conditions will apply to the permit and each will be valid for a specified period of time.
Fees and charges
A new system will be in place to manage signs and activities in road reserves.
Fees will apply from 1 July 2021.
All costs including signage and installation are your responsibility.
After you are granted a permit
If you want to continue advertising or doing activities after your permit expires, you must renew it before it expires.
For more information, read the guidelines.
Contact
For more information, contact your nearest DIPL office:
| Office location | Phone | Street address | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darwin | 1300 011 151 | road.reserves@nt.gov.au | Level 3 Highway House Palmerston NT 0830 |
| Katherine | 08 8973 8665 | roadskatherine.ntg@nt.gov.au | Government Centre First Street Katherine NT 0850 |
| Tennant Creek | 08 8962 4518 | roadstennantcreek.ntg@nt.gov.au | Leichhardt Street Tennant Creek NT 0860 |
| Alice Springs | 08 8951 5275 | roadsalicesprings.ntg@nt.gov.au | Floor 1 Green Well Building 50 Bath Street Alice Springs NT 0870 |
| Nhulunbuy | 08 8987 0198 | roadsnhulunbuy.ntg@nt.gov.au | John Flynn Drive Nhulunbuy NT 0880 |
Last updated: 18 March 2021
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