Bill posters
Commercial bill posters are illegal
The posters you see pasted or taped to telegraph poles, fences, hoardings and the sides of buildings are visually polluting, and an environmental hazard because they peel off and become litter that can go down stormwater drains and into the harbour, polluting the water and harming marine life.
Over the past 4 years the City of Sydney has spent over $6 million removing 804,000 illegal posters. City rangers can issue on-the-spot fines to anyone putting up bill posters. Fines range from $200 for individuals to $400 for businesses.
Council can also issue warnings (called a Prevention Notice) to the businesses involved. This notice warns the business to stop unlawful advertising. If they fail to comply, rangers can issue fines of up to $1,500.
We can also issue a Clean-up Notice ordering the business responsible for the advertising or bill posters to remove the material.
Please note: Bill poster laws relate to commercial advertising. Signs posted by community members to advertise garage sales, find missing pets or to promote local fetes are not in breach of these laws. Refer to the 'Community poster and public notices' section below for more information.
Report bill posters
If you spot illegal bill posters, report it to us by using our online form.
Display posters legally
There are 9 poster pillars around the city, offering a free and legal way to promote your event. The pillars operate on a ‘first come, first served’ basis and all posters are removed every Tuesday, ready for a new selection.
The City encourages people not to post over other posters unless they are out-of-date or there is more than one copy of the poster on view. The poster pillars locations are listed below.
| Suburb | Location |
|---|---|
| Darlinghurst | Oxford Street, near Liverpool Street |
| Oxford Street, near Taylor Square South | |
| Erskineville | Erskineville Road, near Prospect Street |
| Glebe | Bay Street, near Grose Street |
| Glebe Point Road, near Cooper Road | |
| Haymarket | Thomas Street, near Hay Street |
| Kings Cross | William Street, near Brougham Street |
| Bayswater Road at Darlinghurst Road | |
| Moore Park | Anzac Parade, near Cleveland Street |
Community posters and public notices
Community posters and notices such as those used to promote school fetes, garage sales, markets, or missing animals are not considered bill posters. The City allows these posters and notices to be displayed for 1 week in these areas before removing them:
- Newtown: King Street eastern side from Church Street to Union Street
- Glebe: Glebe Point Road from St Johns Road to Toxteth Road
- Broadway: Broadway northern side from Wattle Street to Harris Street
- Darlington: City Road from Carillon Avenue to Cleveland Street
- Surry Hills: Crown Street from William Street to Sir John Young Crescent.
Election posters
Election posters can be legally displayed for 14 days prior to New South Wales parliament and local government elections. All posters must be removed within 7 days after the election.
| Bill posters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Poster pillars location map | PDF 1.4 MB | Download |
Help with downloading and viewing files
Request an accessible format
Last updated: Thursday, 6 June 2013