Street address numbering
Owners may apply to Council seeking new street address numbers (house numbers) or the alteration of an existing street address number. Councils have the responsibility under NSW law to regulate the allocation of street address numbers. Council's power to regulate street address numbering is pursuant to Section 124 (order No.8) of the Local Government Act 1993.
Policy on street address numbering
In determining new street address numbering or if the street address number should be altered, Council considers the following public interest issues.
- The clarity of numbering for emergency, postage, and utility authorities to locate and identify premises;
- The consistency of the numbering system; and
- The clarity of numbering for the public to locate and identify the premises.
Council's objective in determining street numbering is to ensure the public interest issues are addressed while taking into account the applicant’s requirements.
Requests for new numbering
Two types of subdivisions may create additional house numbers:
- Torrens Title subdivision
- Company Title
- Strata Title subdivision
- Community Title
Torrens Title subdivision will normally result in the application of an additional alpha suffix to the existing street number. Example, 538 New South Head Road, Double Bay, was subdivided into four new torrens title lots forming 538A, 538B, 538C and 538D.
Strata Title subdivision will normally result in the application of unit numbers. Unit numbers should, for clarity, match the new lot number in the relevant strata plan. Example: a new block of units is constructed at 56 Bellevue Road, Bellevue Hill, creating 3 units. The new street numbers being the unit number/existing street number 1/56 (being Lot 1 in the SP), 2/56 (being Lot 2 in the SP) and 3/56 (being Lot 3 in the SP).
All requests for new street numbering must be made in writing on the recommended form.
Alteration of existing street numbers
The main request for changes to street numbering comes from the owners of land on corner sites or multiple street frontages. Other requests are varied but include reasons of superstition, religious beliefs or providing better clarity on property location.
The relevant considerations for Council in determining whether or not a street number should be altered are the public interest issues as listed above.
The wishes of the property owner (private interest) including religious reasons or superstition are considered to be the least important reasons why street numbering should be altered.
Buyers of property should be aware that, when purchasing property, the Council will not place any weight upon these types of considerations in determining any request to alter street numbering. The reason being is the wide range of numbers which have cultural and religious bias and superstitions.
If alterations were permitted, the public interest issues would be thwarted. Whilst this may not be the case for a single alteration, change throughout the area, over time, would have an adverse impact.
All requests for altered street numbering must be made in writing on the recommended form.