Australian Capital Territory

ROADS AND PUBLIC PLACES ACT 1937

AMENDED CODE OF PRACTICE
for the Placement of Movable Signs in Public Places

Instrument No. 300 of 2001

Explanatory Statement

The Roads and Public Places Act 1937 (the Act) was amended in November 1998 to allow movable signs in public places to be regulated by a code of practice.

Section 12A of the Act empowers the Minister to determine the code of practice as a disallowable instrument and section 12B provides that the code may include matters relating to –

a)	the materials from which, and the methods by which, a sign may be constructed;
b)	the sizes of signs;
c)	the locations in which a sign may be placed
d)	the words or images that may be displayed on a sign;
e)	the way in which the person responsible for a sign may be identified;
f)	the number of signs that a person may place or keep in a public place; and
g)	the requirements relating to insurance that a person who places or keeps a sign in a public place must satisfy.

A code of practice was determined in 1998 and implemented provisions which were an expanded and refined version of an administrative guideline previously developed in consultation with the business community. 

Section 6(3) of that Code of Practice contained the condition that schools, community groups or registered charities must not charge a site or entry fee to qualify for the community signs provisions.  Schools, community groups and registered charities may display a maximum of twenty (20) movable signs for a period of two (2) weeks prior to an advertised event.  I have concluded that this fee restriction unfairly disadvantaged a number of community and charitable events.

This amended Code of Practice removes the restriction on fees and will allow schools, community groups and registered charities to charge a site entry fee and still qualify for the community signs provision. 
Circulated by authority of
Brendan Smyth MLA
Minister for Urban Services