A rural address is vital for emergency services to locate a property in case of an emergency.

Valuable time may be wasted if emergency service providers need to search for a person’s property. A rural address also helps when dealing with service providers such as Australia Post, Telstra, Ergon Energy and commercial delivery services.

Rural addressing is a distance-based system. Numbers are calculated by dividing the distance, in metres, from a road’s datum (start) point by 10 and rounding to a whole number.

Odd numbers are assigned to the left side of a road and even numbers are assigned to the right side of a road. For example, the number 124 indicates the address is between 1230m and 1250m down the road on the right side. The number 1097 indicates the address is between 10,960m and 10,980m down the road on the left side.

What is the cost?

For new residences, Council will supply and install a post and the reflective rural numbers at no charge.

Applying for a rural address

To apply for a rural address number, download and complete the below form.

RT11 - Rural Road Address Post Application 24-25 (198.7 KiB)

Send completed forms to Douglas Shire Council Administration for processing.

Once an application is made, Council Officers will measure the distance to your property and install the rural address post. A GPS point will be taken and Council’s rural address spatial database and Rates Department will be updated with your information.

Property owner’s responsibility

The rural addressing sign erected by the Council will become the responsibility of the property owner to maintain and replace if damaged/stolen. Maintenance shall include removal of grass and vegetation from around the sign to ensure that it is not obscured.

Property owners will need to allow for replacement of numbers that lose their night time reflective properties with age.

For further information you can contact Douglas Shire Council on (07) 4099 9444.