Roadside Memorials

Council recognises that some members of the community may wish to commemorate / indicate a road fatality by installing a roadside memorial. 

Whilst Council deals sensitively with issues associated with roadside memorials, it also has a responsibility to ensure the roadside memorial is in a safe location, can be easily maintained, will not cause distress to adjacent residents, and will cause minimum distraction or hazard to road users and visitors to the site.  

What You Need to Consider...

When installing a roadside memorial, you need to consider: 

• Safety – memorials must be small in size and not compromise the safety of road users or visitors to the memorial site; 

• Community – consideration must be given to the surrounding community by respecting and retaining the views of local residents; and 

• Location – memorials cannot impede Council, utility or emergency service operations and are not to be affixed to power poles, regulatory traffic signs, in medians or on roundabouts.  

Consultation  

Residents may find roadside memorials, particularly in urban settings, upsetting as they are a reminder of an incident that occurred near their property.  Council therefore requests that the views of adjacent residents located within 100 metres in each direction of the proposed roadside memorial site are obtained and respected prior to proceeding with the construction and installation of any roadside memorial. 

Construction and Installation 

Construction and installation of any memorial will be your responsibility and at your cost.  A roadside memorial must: 

• Be small enough to ensure minimal distraction to road users;  

• Be a moveable structure or a small plaque; 

• Be constructed of appropriate material (e.g. wood, flowers); and  

• Be installed in a way that will not cause injury if struck by a vehicle.   

• Not exceed one metre in height; 

• Not be monuments constructed of heavy materials (e.g., concrete or stone);  

• Not comprise large objects; 

• Not be reflective or illuminated (including solar lights); or  

• Have no more than one memorial for each incident.  

Relocation and Removal

At times, Council may need to remove or relocate the roadside memorial. Should the removal or relocation of a roadside memorial be required, Council will make every effort to contact you prior to doing so. If you have not notified Council of your roadside memorial then we may not be able to make contact with you, so please ensure you complete the Roadside Memorial Notification Form to keep your information up to date.

Tell Us About Your Roadside Memorial 

You do not need a permit to install a roadside memorial that complies with Council’s Roadside Memorials Policy, however, Council asks that you submit a Roadside Memorial Notification Form.  By letting us know, we can contact you if we ever need to remove or relocate your roadside memorial.   

 

Fact Sheet - Roadside Memorials(PDF, 207KB)