How suburbs and localities are defined
Address localities, known as suburbs in urban areas and localities in rural areas, make every address unique and help to build communities.
Suburbs
The Geographical Names Board (GNB) manages suburb names and boundaries for NSW. A suburb is also known as a locality in rural areas, but we are using the term suburb for brevity. A suburb is a named geographical area with defined boundaries.
Suburbs mean addresses can be unique. It's vital that suburb names and boundaries are clear and unambiguous.
Unofficial places
For this reason, certain names cannot be used for addressing purposes, such as:
- neighbourhoods, which have unofficial or fuzzy boundaries. For example, Kings Cross in Sydney is a neighbourhood – it encompasses parts of Elizabeth Bay, Potts Point and Rushcutters Bay.
- estate names – they are branding for particular development areas or gated communities.
Name a suburb or change a boundary
Suburbs now cover all of NSW, so establishing their boundaries means:
- creating new suburbs from existing ones (usually as a result of urban growth), or
- amending the boundaries of an existing suburb.
To propose a change to a suburb boundary or name, you must:
- be a representative of the relevant local government council or
- have the name endorsed by the relevant local government council.
Government authorities can follow the steps in the Proposal system for place naming.
For more information, visit 6.8 principles of locality naming in the NSW Address Policy and User Manual.
Determine suburb boundaries
Determining suburb boundaries is a critical part of urban planning. Boundaries must be clear and understandable to the community. They should be a practical size, for example encompassing a set of shops or a school.
Planners should decide boundaries as early as possible. They should follow natural or man-made markers like rivers or roads and avoid dividing properties.
For more information, visit 6.8.4 boundary definition in the NSW Address Policy and User Manual.
Suburb search
To find a suburb and its extent, use our suburb search. The interactive map displays various layers, including electoral boundaries, points of interest, topographic features and other categories.