Promotional activities for elections

Use this page to understand:

if you need a permit for your campaign
which campaign activities are considered non-compliant
how you can report non-compliant campaign activity to Council.

If you want to place banners, posters, signs and stickers around the City of Boroondara to promote someone or something, you must follow the rules laid down in Council’s Amenity Local Law and the Boroondara Planning Scheme.

The Amenity Local Law and the Boroondara Planning Scheme cover promotional activities, including state, federal and local government election campaigns.

The City of Boroondara supports campaign activities in line with freedom of expression, fair access and public safety and amenity.

Do I need a permit?

Election promotional activities might be:

allowed without a permit
allowed with a permit
not allowed

This will depend on the type of activity and the location, including whether it is on private or council-owned land.

Election promotion at a specific location, such as an early voting centre, may require additional restrictions based on space available to ensure public access and amenity (such as limiting the number of A-frames).

Activities allowed without a permit

Activity	Example	Council requirements
Pamphlet or flyer distribution	Dropping election materials in residents' letterboxes Handing out election materials on a footpath	Please consider your impact on the environment and avoid littering. Do not litter should be printed on the flyer in at least size 10 font. Must be for non-commercial purposes
Door knocking	Door knocking to promote a candidate	No requirements Must be for non-commercial purposes
Signs and banners displayed on vehicle and/or trailer when they are in transit or are parked on a road	Trailer parked in a car space on a road	Must be parked legally Vehicle and trailer must not be longer than 7.5 meters in total Signs must not be displayed more than 3 months before polling day Signs must be removed no later than 14 days after polling day Signs must be no larger than 5m2 No internally illuminated or animated signs
Signs and banners displayed on parked vehicles and trailers on private land	A trailer with a billboard or A-frame sign	You need permission from landowner Signs must not be displayed more than 3 months before polling day Signs must be removed no later than 14 days after polling day Signs must be no larger than 5m2 One sign per property No internally illuminated or animated signs For signage outside of the rules above, contact the Planning Team on (03) 9278 4888 or email [email protected]
Signs and banners displayed on private land or private structures	A real estate sign displayed on a fence. Large scale posters attached to shopfront windows.	You need permission from landowner Signs must not be displayed more than 3 months before polling day Signs must be removed no later than 14 days after polling day Signs must be no larger than 5m2 One sign per property No internally illuminated or animated signs For signage outside of the rules above, including campaigning offices, contact the Planning Team on (03) 9278 4888 or email [email protected]

Activities allowed with a permit

Activity	Example	Council requirements
Free-standing signs or banners displayed on Council-controlled land	Picket signs, A-frames, banners or teardrop signs on a footpath	Signs cannot be unattended Permits will only be issued for footpath locations.
Promotional stalls set up on footpaths	Table and chairs set up on a footpath	Permits will list agreed times and locations for stalls to be operated Permits will only be issued for footpath locations If the promotional stall is being set up in front of a business, written permission from the business owner is required as part of your application. Please submit a copy of the written permission from the business to [email protected] after you have submitted your permit application.

Activities not allowed

Activity	Example
Signs or banners on a vehicle or trailer parked on Council-controlled land	Advertising on a vehicle or trailer in a park, garden, reserve, nature strip or road related area like emergency stop lane
Signs and banners on Council-controlled structures and assets	Bill postings on council-owned buildings, council-owned fences, public rubbish bins, residential rubbish bins, power poles and utilities
Promotional stalls on Council-controlled land	Promotional stalls in parks, gardens and reserves Does not include promotional stalls on footpaths

Apply for a permit

If you need a permit for your promotional activities on Council-controlled land, complete our Occupy Council-controlled land form-external site.

If you don’t comply with requirements

If you don’t follow the requirements covered above:

You might be fined.
Your vehicle/trailer may be towed or impounded.
Your signs may be impounded.

For more information on offences, penalties and infringement notices, read Council's Amenity Local Law.

Download the Amenity Local Law

Amenity Local Law 2019-2029 1.03 MB [PDF] 20 December 2019

How to report non-compliant activities

If you have noticed a promotional activity that is not allowed, you can report it online.

More information

For more information on promotional activities, call Civic Services on (03) 9278 4949 or email [email protected].