Temporary Signage

Businesses and residents may erect signage for promotional purposes, provided they meet certain guidelines and specifications.

Applications are required and fees apply for some signs.

Portable business signs

A portable business sign is defined as a free standing portable advertising device that is not permanently attached to a structure or fixed to the ground or pavement. This can include A-frame signs used to advertise a business.

The business is required to indemnify the City of South Perth from and against all claims and judgements arising from the erection of the signs.

All portable signs must contain sign writing that is of a professional standard and quality and only incorporate the name of the businesses, not brand advertising. 

The display of a single portable business sign does not require approval by the City where it complies with the following criteria. A portable sign shall not:

• Exceed one metre in height above the finished ground or pavement level
• Contain more than two sign faces
• Exceed one square metre total area on any single sign face
• Be illuminated, incorporate reflective or fluorescent materials
• Have moving parts once the sign is in place.

Generally, only one sign per business or activity is to be displayed. The City may approve more than one sign, up to a maximum of two signs, dependent upon the location and nature of the property or area which it is serving. If more than one sign is required, then a Portable Business Sign Application must be made to the City. If the property or business adjoins two streets, then approval may be granted for one sign per street frontage.

Sign location

The City cannot approve signs on Canning Highway and Kwinana Freeway as they are controlled by Main Roads Western Australia. 
Portable signs shall:

• Only be displayed in a location immediately adjacent to the business premises to which the sign relates
• Be restricted to pedestrian areas and the sign display surface should be at 90 degrees to the kerb
• Be limited to one portable business sign per business
• Be removed at the close of trading each day and not displayed again until the business opens for trading the next day
• Not be placed so as to impede the reasonable use of a road reserve or public place
• Not be placed so as to obstruct or impede the vision of a driver in a vehicle entering or leaving a public street or vehicle crossover, and in any case shall be no less than 1.8 metres from a road intersection or vehicle crossover
• Not be fixed or attached to a building, wall, fence, pole, tree or other structure within the road reserve
• Not be fixed or attached to a building, wall, fence, pole, tree or other structure that is property of the City of South Perth
• Be removed or relocated at the request of a person authorised under Section 9.10 of the Local Government Act for the purpose of a special event, parade, road or footpath works, or other event, which in the opinion of the officer requires relocation or removal
• Where possible be located within the private property boundary to which the sign refers.

Illuminated advertising signs (including VMS Trailers) must not be within 20 metres of a street intersection with traffic lights and should not be lit in a way that it may be confused with the traffic lights. A Portable Business Sign Application must be made to the City for all illuminated advertising signs displayed on land other than private property.

Portable signs may be displayed within the verge area of a road reserve subject to the following:

• The sign is displayed adjacent to and between the business frontage and the nearest kerb. The display location of the portable sign is to be approved by the City of South Perth
• No part of the sign is to be less than 600 mm from the face of the nearest kerb or, if no kerb, from the edge of the nearest road surface (or car parking bay)
• The effective width of a footpath, pedestrian access way or the like not being reduced to less than 1.8 metres effective width.

Home open, display home and garage sale signs

Home open, display home and garage sale signs are classified as portable signs within a public street to advertise that a home for sale is open, that a display home is open for inspection or to advertise goods for sale at residential premises on a one-off or occasional basis.

Specifications

The display of home open signs, display home signs and garage sale signs do not require the issue of a sign approval by the City where the portable sign complies with the following criteria:

• They are not constructed from a hard or sharp material that may be dangerous to pedestrians or road users should the sign be hit, knocked, become windblown or any other hazard
• The business/organisation/person indemnifies the City from and against all claims and judgements arising from the erection of the signs
• They do not exceed 0.36 square metres in area per sign face
• They do not contain more than two sign faces
• They do not exceed 0.6 metre in height above the surrounding ground level or pavement
• They are placed at least 10 metres from any road intersection
• They are placed at least one metre from any vehicle crossover
• Limit of three signs per individual display home, garage sale or home open including the sign placed on the property on which the sale is being conducted or displayed
• They are free standing and not affixed to any existing sign, post, power or light pole, or other structure
• Home open signs are only to be displayed three hours prior to the relevant home is open for inspection and two hours after the finish of the home open
• Garage sale signs are permitted for a maximum of one hour before and after the business is being conducted, to allow for placement and collection of the sign
• They are not placed on a constructed footpath or within one metre of the road edge
• They are only erected within one km of the property which is being sold or is holding the sale
• These signs must not be erected within the centre of a road where the road is divided by a traffic island
• Signs should be removed or relocated at the request of a person authorised under Section 9.10 of the Local Government Act, for the purpose of a special event, parade, road or footpath works, or other event, which in the opinion of the officer requires relocation or removal.

The City is responsible for the approval of temporary signage displayed on City of South Perth land and the day-to-day enforcement of non-compliance of displayed signage on land other than private property. This includes the enforcement of the relative specifications of the signs and issuing infringements for offences against the provisions of the City of South Perth Public Places and Local Government Property Local Law 2011 and the impounding of these signs under the Local Government Act 1995.

Temporary signs and banners 

A temporary sign is one that is used to promote an event, concert or similar or to promote an organisation (such as a sporting organisation). A banner is a sign made from a flexible material that may be displayed temporarily from a supporting pole. 

Specifications 

Approval may be granted at the discretion of the City of South Perth in respect to the placement or erection of a temporary sign or street banner subject to:

• An application being made to the City of South Perth on a Temporary Signage Application 
• The organisation indemnifies the City from and against all claims and judgements arising from the erection of the signs
• No more than six signs will be permitted to be erected for any one event at any one time
• Only one sign per event being advertised may be erected in any one place or intersection
• The sign or banner is promptly removed after the event
• Signs shall not depict any information relating whatsoever to an election campaign for any position in Local Government, Federal or State Parliament. However signs providing direction to a polling place on the voting day will be considered
• The maximum duration of time for a sign to remain in a public place shall not be more than a six month period depending on the circumstances and at the discretion of the City of South Perth
• For signs advertising an event that occurs on a regular basis, (e.g. monthly), may only be displayed for a maximum of 10 days prior to the event
• Depending on the circumstances and location, the City may approve a sign or banner to be displayed only during the hours of operation for the business or event
• The display of any temporary signs or street banners is prohibited within 10 meters of any intersection
• The sign writing shall be of a professional standard and quality, to the satisfaction of the City
• The sign can only advertise legitimate, legal and/or registered businesses and events
• The sign is not to be fixed or attached to a building, wall, fence, pole, tree or other structure that is property of the City of South Perth
• The sign must be non-offensive in nature, to the satisfaction of the City 
• The signs are positioned in such a manner so as not to present a danger to pedestrian movement or cause interference with the clear visual lines of sight required by motorists for the safe movement of vehicular traffic; ie not to be positioned on footpaths, median strips, traffic islands, roundabouts or at intersections where the sign(s) may hinder clear sight lines for motorists except where specifically permitted by the City. The sign colours must also not cause confusion where signs are being considered at intersections controlled by traffic lights
• All Illuminated advertising signs (including VMS Trailers) must not be within 20 metres of a street intersection with traffic lights and is not lit in a way that it may be confused with the traffic lights. A Temporary Signage Application must be made to the City for all illuminated advertising signs displayed on land other than private property
• The signs are maintained in a good and orderly manner for the duration of their display
• The size of the sign is not to exceed two metres long by two metres high, although variations to these dimensions may be approved if considered appropriate
• A banner sign shall generally be a maximum of four square metres in sign face area
• Have a maximum height of two metres above the ground
• Where installed on the verge the signs must be at least two metres from the kerb line or, for an un-kerbed road, they must be at least two metres from the edge line or the edge of the seal where there is no edge line
• Approval of a sign for an event will not constitute permission to hold an event on land vested in the City or any other authority. The applicant is to ensure that all approvals have been obtained from the City or other relevant authorities prior to the event taking place
• The City reserves the right to withdraw such approval upon breach of these requirements or any conditions of approval
• Signs are not permitted to be tied or secured to power poles or street lights unless permitted by Western Power
• Signs will also not be permitted at sites that have a significant crash history
• The City cannot approve signs on Canning Highway and Kwinana Freeway as they are controlled by Main Roads Western Australia. Any sign or banner displayed on a Main Road under the control of Main Roads WA shall require the prior consent of Main Roads WA
• The installation of any sign is to be undertaken by the applicant
• Banners must conform to the size requirements/guidelines of the banner support design
• The material used must be of sufficient durability to conform to the location and environmental conditions
• The sign must be removed or relocated at the request of a person authorised under Section 9.10 of the Local Government Act, for the purpose of a special event, parade, road or footpath works, or other event, which in the opinion of the officer requires relocation or removal.