Property numbers save lives

5/11/2009 4:19:00 PM

Engineering Services Committee has recommended Council notify owners of commercial property of the importance of ensuring their properties are clearly numbered.

Committee Chair Cr Dawn Crichlow said owners should clearly identify their properties not just because it was a local law requirement, but also because visible property numbering helped save lives.

“Clearly observable numbers help emergency services locate specific properties more easily and this can mean the difference between life and death in an emergency situation,” said Cr Crichlow.

“Council already plays it part through our kerbside numbering program and the committee also recommended that the repainting frequency for commercial properties be increased from four years to every two years.

“However, there is a limit to the visibility of kerbside numbering, especially in commercial areas where there can be large numbers of parked vehicles, and commercial and industrial properties should have numbering that is clearly visible from the road.

“We will be undertaking an extensive communication campaign to inform commercial property owners about the importance of making sure their signage complies.

“The price of signage is relatively cheap, but in the event that emergency services cannot locate a property in time due to inadequate numbering, the cost can be very high.”

Cr Crichlow also said that while commercial property owners could be fined for non-compliant signage, there were no plans to at this stage.

“We will be communicating with owners and looking to them to make sure they have adequate property numbering – not because they have to, but because it makes good sense.”