Geographical Names Board proposal system for place naming

Find out how to propose place names, whether you're a member of the public or from a government agency.

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Key information

Place names are important for identifying where you are, and also for creating a sense of community and shared history. See the glossary for places that can be named.
The Place Naming Proposal System is a portal for government authorities to propose place names, boundaries, dual names, and occasionally change place names.
Uniqueness is the most important quality in place names, given duplication can cause confusion for delivery services and delay emergency response times.
Typically, once you've proposed a place name it takes 3-4 months to gazette, if no objections are received. If objections are received it can take 6-7 months, depending how quickly councils can respond to any objections.

Members of the public should work with their local council before proposing a place name.

When a new place name is needed

A new place name is needed:

for new parks, suburbs and railway stations
for the many geographical features that remain unnamed in NSW, for example, saddles, channels, gullies and creeks
when a change to an existing place name is needed to address an offensive name or safety concern
to assign the traditional Aboriginal name for a place through dual naming.

The Geographical Names Board (GNB) does not have the authority to name infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and buildings.

Eligibility

Who can propose place names

Government authorities including local councils, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and other State Government agencies can propose a place name to the GNB.

Place name proposals must be submitted to the GNB by the government agency that administers a feature, unless:

the feature is on private property and has local council approval
the feature is on government land, and the government agency supports the name and asks the public or organisation to submit the proposal
the name is a traditional Aboriginal place name.

Wherever possible, we strongly encourage members of the public to work with the local council or government agency responsible for the feature, before submitting a proposal to the GNB.

What you need to propose a place name or suburb boundary

Proposing a place name

What you need

Before you choose a name, make sure you:

select a name that aligns with the GNB Place Naming policy, section 9.2 selection of names
check the name complies with the rules for language in section 6.1 of the Place Naming policy
check the full list of generic reserve names (if you're naming a park) in section 9.8 of the Place Naming policy
find out if the place already has a name, using our Place name search
avoid using the names of any living persons
don't use an active commercial or business name.

Before you begin your proposal, make sure you've gathered the documents or files you need:

evidence of public support, see section 9.5 of the Place Naming policy, titled 'Council resolutions to identify community support'
for local government, provide evidence of council resolution
evidence of endorsement by the Local Aboriginal Land Council and the local Aboriginal community for names using Aboriginal language, or other relevant authorities, if applicable
information about the origin of the name and any multicultural, Aboriginal, or other dimensions
a map of the place or feature and its extent (where it starts and ends)
pronunciation audio/sound files, if applicable
date of birth and death for people being commemorated, if known
the name and contact details of any organisation associated with a person being commemorated
any other source of information about a person being commemorated.

Proposing a new/amended suburb name

What you need

Before you propose a new or amended suburb name, make sure you:

obtain background information on the history and reasoning for the name
check the name complies with the reasons deemed appropriate for new/amended address locality names in chapter 6.8 of the NSW Address Policy and User Manual
gain support by council resolution
check it's a unique suburb name in Australia. Contact us on the details below
can show how it improves public safety and service delivery
consult with any other affected Local Government Area, if the address locality covers more than one
obtain a map or GIS file (ESRI Shape file .shp preferred)
check it meets the size limits for an urban area, as described in chapter 6.8 of the User Manual
avoid using a prefix or suffix such as north, south, inner, upper, old, new
speak to the GNB for endorsement before gaining public buy-in (via the local council).

How to propose a new/amended suburb or locality name that also amends boundaries

In the proposal system, select 'create place name proposal' from the sidebar.

Under type of proposal click the circle for 'New/amended address locality name'.

In the textbox 'Any other relevant information regarding this reasoning?' explain that you wish to create the new locality and amend existing locality boundaries.

Enter the details of the affected boundaries and attach supporting documents.

Proposing an amended suburb boundary

What you need

Before you propose to change a boundary, make sure you:

can provide the reason for the amendment (for example, urban spread, new road, access, delivery), with supporting documents
gain public buy-in via consultation (the council does this)
know the number of lots or owner/occupiers the proposed amendment affects and whether they agree with the change. See chapter 7.1.3 of the User Manual
check the boundary follows clear lines such as rivers, railways or major roads and doesn't bisect properties.

How to propose a place name or boundary

Government authorities

Select the link below that applies to your situation. Note: Chrome and Microsoft Edge are the recommended browsers.

It will take you to the GNB online ‘proposal system’ login page. You can create an account if you don’t have one. See the video How to create an account for authenticated users. You won't be able to login until the GNB has approved your account.

Select which type of proposal you want to make now:

Propose a place name
New amended address locality name (this link is for new name that also amends boundaries, too)
Address locality boundary amendment.

Your proposal will take around one hour to complete.

Visit our contact us page if you need help applying online, or to request a paper form.

Members of the public

Research

Members of the public can research existing place names using our Place name search.

Propose

We strongly encourage members of the public who wish to propose a place name to work with the relevant local council or government authority before using this form: Submit a place name proposal.

If you'd like to propose an Aboriginal place name, the first step is to work with the relevant Local Aboriginal Land Council. Find your LALC.

Have your say

Tell us what you think about Current place name proposals.

Contribute

You can help us update our records if you have information about a feature's history, origin, meaning or pronunciation. Go to Place name search/search a place name/click on view info/add place name information.

What happens after you've submitted a proposal

The Board will review your proposal. The name will either be approved and we will advertise it for public comment, deferred so we can seek further information from you, or rejected. We will contact you by email if we need further information.
Government applicants can see real-time status updates at any time in the proposal system by clicking on the ‘manage proposals’ option in the sidebar.
If we receive no objections, we will email you to tell you your proposal is successful.
If we receive objections, we will forward them to you for review and comment.
We will prepare a report with your feedback, reconsider your proposal and endorse, defer or reject.
If endorsed, we will prepare a report for the NSW Government. If the NSW Government approves the name, it becomes official.

Note: For applications submitted by members of the public, the GNB will keep you updated as the proposal progresses.