Criteria for advertising in road reserves

To advertise in a road reserve, you must meet the below criteria.

Advertisements must:

• be professionally manufactured and kept in a clean and tidy condition
• installed vertically at 90 degrees to the road
• state a clear message, have few words and be simple in their design
• not be illuminated, reflective, fluorescent, electronic or move
• not be an electronic or variable message board
• not endanger or limit line of sight for road users
• not cause a traffic hazard or distract road users
• not resemble a traffic control device or any traffic sign or symbol
• not use third party advertising, including the reference to alcohol and logos
• not use arrows or distance for directional purposes.

Graphics, layout and size must:

• comply with Australian standards - see the table below
• not cause distraction
• not be offensive.

Tips for designing your sign

When designing your sign, you need to think about:

• text and images
• colour scheme
• font.

Text and images

Keep your message clear and short.

Avoid unnecessary clutter from images or too much text - this makes it:

• harder to read and
• distracts from the message you're trying to convey.

Colour scheme

Choose colours that create a contrast between your background and text colour.

This will ensure your message can be read from a distance, including by people who may be colour blind.

Avoid using colour combinations that:

• are difficult to read
• pose a distraction or
• replicate road signage.

The following colour combinations should be avoided:

• white on brown
• black on yellow
• white on green
• white on blue
• red on white.

Font

It's recommended that you use fonts such as Arial Black or similar, that are easy to read.

Ensure the text is large enough to be seen by road users. Keeping your message simple means you will use less words, and less words means bigger text size.

The table below shows the minimum font sizes required in different speed zones.

Font size is based on three words, 10m from the road. Font sizes have been calculated in line with Australian standards.