Geographical Names Act 1966

The Act rests on a small set of statutory concepts that determine scope, decision‑makers and legal effects.

• Geographical name and recorded name. A "geographical name" is a place name notified in the Gazette as such under the Act (s 2: definition of geographical name; s 7(1); s 10(1)-(2)). A "recorded name" is a place name as it appears on a Lands Department map, or the latest of several such maps (s 2: recorded name). The Board can approve a recorded name to be the geographical name (s 5(b), s 7(1)) or treat certain other published names as recorded names under s 7A where they meet the conditions in that section.
• Place. "Place" is broad and includes geographical or topographical features and named settlements and localities, but explicitly excludes roads and specified classes of areas under the Local Government Act 1993, electoral districts under the Electoral Act 2017, schools, and any other class excluded by regulation (s 2: definition of place; s 19(1)(e) for regulations). The Act thus applies to an enumerated class of locations and permits regulations to exclude further classes.
• Board, Minister and Governor roles. The Board is the primary decision maker for recommending and taking action on names (s 3, s 5). The Minister receives the Board’s report and may approve or disapprove recommendations (s 9(5)). The Governor formally appoints and may remove appointed members (s 3(2)(e), s 3(10)(a)). The Act also allows delegation to the Secretary or departmental officers for Ministerial powers (s 18(2)).
• Publication and legal effect. Gazette publication is the legal mechanism that converts a decision into an effective geographical name (s 7(1), s 10(1)-(2), s 14(2)). Publication in a local newspaper is required for notices of proposals (s 8). For discontinuance of names assigned or altered under s 11 or s 12, concurrent approval by the appropriate Commonwealth officer or other naming authority is required (s 14(3)).
• Public participation and objection. The Act mandates publication of proposals and a default one month period for written submissions to the Secretary, with the Board required to inquire into submissions and include grounds of objections in its report to the Minister (s 8, s 9(1)-(3)). This is the statutory route for disputes over naming.
• Regulatory and enforcement overlay. The Governor may make regulations for forms, records, meeting procedures, delegated powers and exclusions (s 19). Section 15 creates a limited criminal penalty regime for misrepresenting a name as a geographical name in certain mapped or tourist publications, with proceedings summary in the Local Court and requiring the Minister’s written approval to commence (s 15(2)-(4)).

These concepts structure how names move from informal usage or cartographic records to legally recognised "geographical names", and how the Board manages orthography, Aboriginal vocabulary records, and registers. The Board’s authority intersects with other naming powers exercised under other Acts by requiring concurrence in those other naming processes (s 12).

The Act creates obligations and decision points that affect several groups with distinct interests and incentives.

• The Board and its members. The statutory Board is created as the decision body for names (s 3). The Surveyor‑General must chair, and the Board comprises specified ex officio members and five Governor‑appointed members nominated by particular bodies including the Local Government and Shires Association, the Royal Australian Historical Society, the Geographical Society of New South Wales, the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, and Multicultural NSW (s 3(2)-(4)). Appointed members may receive fees for attendance where they are not public servants and receive travelling expenses as the Minister determines (s 3(14)-(15)). The Governor may remove appointed members (s 3(10)(a)). The Act exempts the appointment of Board members from the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 (s 3(16)), but staff enabling the Board are to be employed under that Act (s 4).
• Public authorities and local government bodies. Where another Act gives power to the Governor, public authority, local government body or officer to assign or alter a place name, that power cannot be exercised unless the Board first concurs (s 12(1)). For names assigned under such powers, the Board must publish the concurrence in the Gazette to make the name a geographical name (s 12(2)). The rule changes the exercise pathway for statutory naming powers in other Acts by introducing a required step of Board concurrence.
• Publishers, cartographers and database maintainers. Section 15 restricts publication of place names in a range of materials including scientific manuscripts, guide‑books, handbooks, pamphlets, road‑maps and maps intended for travellers, and specifically includes electronic publication (s 15(1), (5)). If a name is published as a place name and it is not a geographical name under the Act, the publisher must state that it is not a geographical name, or else face a penalty up to five penalty units and summary proceedings in the Local Court, subject to the Minister’s written consent to commence proceedings (s 15(2)-(4)). This affects private and public map producers, tourism publishers and digital map/database operators.
• Owners and users of places. People or entities that rely on place names for legal rights or obligations are protected by s 17, which provides that alteration or discontinuance of a name under the Act does not affect rights or obligations nor render legal proceedings defective; proceedings may continue under the altered or discontinued name. Those with interests tied to registered names will need to track name changes for practical reasons but are not stripped of legal rights by a naming change (s 17).
• Commonwealth postal authorities. The Board may approve names of post offices or telegraph offices after consultation with Commonwealth department officers and other persons as the Board thinks desirable, and published approval is effected by Gazette notice (s 11). The Board must consult the appropriate Commonwealth officer when considering post office names (s 11(1)). Discontinuance of a name assigned or altered under s 11 cannot occur without concurrence of the appropriate Commonwealth officer (s 14(3)).
• Anyone proposing names. The Act provides a public procedure for proposing names or alterations: notices must be published in the Gazette and in a local newspaper, and there is a one month period for submissions to the Secretary unless extended by the Board (s 8, s 9(1)). This affects community groups, councils, developers and other nominators.

Funding drivers are implicit rather than explicit. The Act provides for fees for non‑public servant appointed members and travelling expenses as determined by the Minister (s 3(14)-(15)), and staff are to be public servants employed under the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 (s 4). There is no appropriation or explicit salary/funding schedule in the Act text.

Decision rights are primarily with the Board and, for final approval after objections, the Minister (s 5, s 9(3)-(5)). The Governor retains appointive and removal authority for appointed members (s 3(2)(e), s 3(10)(a)). Delegations can move some Ministerial powers to the Secretary or departmental employees (s 18(2)) and the Board can delegate certain powers to its chairperson as prescribed (s 18(1)).

The Act establishes a set of positive duties, procedural obligations and substantive powers for the Board, the Minister and third parties, and it creates rights for public participation and for maintenance of legal continuity.

Board duties and powers

• Assign, approve, alter and discontinue names. The Board’s core functions include assigning names to places, approving recorded names as geographical names, altering recorded or geographical names, discontinuing the use of names, and adopting orthographic, nomenclatural and pronunciation rules (s 5(a)-(f)). These are statutory powers, not merely advisory functions.
• Investigation and recordkeeping. The Board must investigate form, spelling, meaning, pronunciation, origin and history of names and maintain a register and gazetteer of geographical names and, separately, a vocabulary of Aboriginal words suitable for naming (s 5(f)-(i)). It may compile and publish a list of road names (s 5(2)).
• Public process obligations. Before assigning or altering a name the Board must publish a notice of the proposal in the Gazette and in a newspaper circulating in or near the place (s 8). It has to allow at least one month for written submissions to the Secretary and to inquire into all submissions (s 9(1)-(2)). After considering submissions, the Board may abandon the proposal or recommend adoption to the Minister, with the report setting out grounds of objections (s 9(3)). Where there are no objections, the Board may publish the notice in the Gazette itself (s 10(1)(a)).
• Publication effect. When the Board causes notice in the Gazette under the prescribed pathways, the specified name becomes the geographical name of the place; an altered name extinguishes the former recorded or geographical name (s 7(1), s 10(2)).

Minister and Governor duties and powers

• Ministerial oversight. The Minister reviews the Board’s recommendation where objections are made and may approve or disapprove; that decision is final (s 9(5)). The Minister also receives the Board’s annual report and lays it before Parliament (s 16).
• Executive appointments and removals. The Governor appoints the five appointed members and may remove them for cause (s 3(2)(e), s 3(10)(a)). Appointed members serve for periods not exceeding five years and may be reappointed (s 3(6)).
• Delegation powers. The Minister may delegate functions to the Secretary or Departmental employees; any such delegation survives a change in Minister and may be revoked (s 18(2)). The Board may delegate prescribed powers to its chairperson (s 18(1)).

Rights and obligations of third parties

• Right to submit. Any person may make a written submission to the Secretary within one month (or a longer period the Board allows) after notice of a proposed name or alteration is published (s 9(1)). The Board is required to inquire into and dispose of submissions (s 9(2)).
• Duty when publishing names. Publishers of maps, guide‑books, handbooks, road maps and certain other publications must not publish a name purporting to be the name of a place unless the name is the geographical name under the Act or the publication states that the name is not a geographical name under the Act (s 15(1)). "Published" includes electronic forms (s 15(5)). Breach attracts a penalty up to five penalty units and summary jurisdiction in the Local Court, and prosecutions require the Minister’s written approval to commence (s 15(2)-(4)).
• Legal continuity. Alteration or discontinuance of a place name under the Act does not affect rights or obligations of any person, nor render legal proceedings defective; proceedings may continue or be commenced under the altered or discontinued name (s 17). This ensures continuity of private and public legal relations despite name changes.

Administrative duties

• Records and reporting. The Board must maintain registers and gazetteers of names (s 5(h)-(i)). It must prepare an annual report of its work and forward it to the Minister as soon as practical after 30 June each year, and the Minister must lay the report before both Houses of Parliament (s 16).
• Procedural compliance. The Board must follow meeting procedure rules subject to regulation and must ensure quorum and voting rules are followed (s 3(9)). Regulations may prescribe forms and records to be used for Act purposes (s 19(1)(a)-(b)).

These duties create a regulated naming process with transparency obligations and public participation, while preserving continuity of private rights and embedding Ministerial oversight for contested matters.

The Act’s enforcement content is limited and focused narrowly on publication of names in certain categories of works, with administrative controls over prosecution. It does not create a broad regulatory penalty regime for all naming acts; other mechanisms in the Act are administrative and operate by Gazette publication rather than criminal sanction.

• Offence for publishing non‑geographical names. Section 15(1) prohibits publication of any name purporting to be the name of any place in a range of publications and maps unless the name is the geographical name under the Act or the publication or map states that the name is not a geographical name under the Act. The categories include geographical or scientific manuscripts or publications, guide‑books, handbooks, pamphlets, road‑maps or other publications for travellers or tourists, and maps in those publications. Section 15(5) expressly includes electronic publication in the definition of "published".
• Penalty quantum and jurisdiction. Breach of s 15 is an offence carrying a penalty not exceeding five penalty units (s 15(2)). Proceedings are to be dealt with summarily in the Local Court (s 15(3)). The Act does not specify whether enforcement is by complaint, information or other means; the Local Court’s summary jurisdiction implies a standard criminal or regulatory enforcement track for minor offences.
• Control on commencement of proceedings. Section 15(4) requires that proceedings for an offence under s 15 shall not be commenced except with the Minister’s approval in writing. This creates an administrative gatekeeper that controls whether prosecutions for published name misrepresentation proceed. The Act does not prescribe criteria or timetables for that approval.
• No other express monetary or criminal penalties. Beyond s 15, the Act does not supply other pecuniary penalties or criminal sanctions for, for example, assigning or altering a name outside the notice and Gazette process. The legal effect of assignment or alteration derives from the procedural publication mechanism in ss 7, 10 and 14, not from penalties. The Act protects rights and obligations from being affected by such name changes (s 17), which constrains the remedial consequences of unlawful naming actions.
• Delegation and administrative effectiveness. The Act provides for delegation of Ministerial powers to the Secretary or departmental officers (s 18(2)). While delegation can make decision‑making efficient, the Act retains the Minister’s power to revoke and the Minister’s finality in approving Board recommendations where objections are lodged (s 9(5)). The Board may delegate to its chairperson prescribed powers (s 18(1)(a)-(c)), and when acting under delegation the chairperson is taken to be the Board (s 18(1)(b)(iii)). The Act does not specify enforcement mechanisms for noncompliance with publication or recordkeeping obligations of the Board itself; enforcement is likely administrative oversight through the Minister and parliamentary scrutiny via the annual report duty (s 16).

In practice the enforcement regime puts the legal burden of compliance primarily on publishers and map producers for representation of place names, with capped penalties and a Ministerial override on prosecutions, rather than a broad punitive framework applicable to naming authorities or other actors. The Act prescribes administrative remedies and public processes for naming rather than relying on penalties for most conduct.

The Act both references and conditions naming powers under other statutory schemes and also makes specific exclusions by reference to other Acts. The text creates cross‑links that practitioners must consider when dealing with naming issues in multi‑jurisdictional or multi‑authority contexts.

• Interaction with naming powers under other Acts. Where any Act, ordinance or regulation gives power to the Governor, a public authority, local government body, officer or person to assign or alter the name of any place, that power cannot be exercised unless the Board first concurs (s 12(1)). This operates as a statutory precondition that channels the exercise of naming powers under other legislation through the Board. Where the Board concurs, the name becomes a geographical name upon Gazette publication (s 12(2)). Subject to this precondition, the Act states that it does not affect the powers conferred by or under any Act on the Governor or other naming authorities (s 12(3)). Practically, s 12 imposes an administrative step rather than removing underlying statutory power.
• References to specific Acts in definitions and maps. The definition of "Lands Department map" in s 2 refers to maps published by or under the direction or control of the Department of Lands for areas within the Eastern and Central Division and Western Division as defined in the Crown Land Management Act 2016, and separately specifies the map of Lord Howe Island dated 6 July 1962. These definitions import cartographic sources and tie the meaning of "recorded name" to particular map traditions. Where such maps differ, the recorded name is the name on the map published later (s 2: recorded name).
• Government Sector Employment Act 2013. The Act provides that staff supporting the Board may be employed under the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 (s 4). Conversely, s 3(16) expressly exempts the appointment of Board members from the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 and makes members not subject to that Act during their term. This creates a bifurcation: Board members operate outside the employment law regime that governs staff who implement Board functions.
• Commonwealth naming and postal functions. Section 11 requires the Board to consult the appropriate officer of any Commonwealth department and other persons when approving names assigned to post offices or telegraph offices. Section 14(3) prohibits discontinuance of names assigned or altered in accordance with ss 11 or 12 without concurrence of that Commonwealth officer or other delegated naming authority. These provisions place a consultation and concurrence constraint on changes that implicate Commonwealth functions.
• Regulations and exclusions. Under s 19(1)(e) the Governor may make regulations prescribing places or classes of places to which the Act does not apply. The Act’s definition of "place" already excludes roads, areas as defined in the Local Government Act 1993, county council or joint organisation areas, electoral districts under the Electoral Act 2017, schools and any class of places excluded by regulation (s 2, definition of place). This enables the regulation‑making power to refine the statutory scope and coordinate with other legislative schemes.
• Parliamentary and administrative oversight. The Board must prepare an annual report and the Minister must lay it before both Houses of Parliament (s 16). The Act thereby embeds parliamentary oversighting of the Board’s activities, which interacts with public sector accountability regimes and with departmental responsibilities for staff under the Government Sector Employment Act 2013.
• Procedural interactions. The Act’s requirement for Gazette publication to effect a geographical name means that other statutory instruments that rely on place names for legal effect may need to be read with care where naming changes occur. Section 17 protects rights and obligations from being affected by name alteration or discontinuance, and explicitly allows legal proceedings to continue under altered or discontinued names, which mitigates interactional friction with other statutory regimes.

Practitioners should therefore map naming activity against other statutes conferring naming powers, check regulation schedules for exclusions, and note that Commonwealth postal naming involves consultation and concurrence. The Act’s operational effects are largely administrative and procedural, with Gazette publication central to cross‑statutory recognition.

The Act text includes amendment notes appended to particular sections. The Act has been amended on multiple occasions; the statutory notes in the source identify the amending instruments and schedules. The notes in the source provide the following recorded amendments to sections as shown in the Act text.

• s 2 (Definitions). Amended by: 1987 No 63, Sch 2; 1993 No 108, Sch 1; 1995 No 11, Sch 1; 2001 No 112, Sch 1.12 [1]; 2010 No 59, Sch 2.37 [1]; 2009 No 102, Sch 6.1; 2015 No 58, Sch 3.38 [1]; 2017 No 17, Sch 4.39; 2017 No 65, Sch 2.10; 2017 No 66, Sch 8.10. These entries appear in the source as the amendment history attached to s 2.
• s 3 (Geographical Names Board). Amended by: Government Gazette No 33 of 2.3.1979 p 953; 1988 No 131, Sch 10; 1990 No 46, Sch 1; 1993 No 108, Sch 1; 2001 No 112, Sch 1.12 [2]-[7]; 2002 No 83, Sch 2.9; 2004 No 55, Sch 1.13 [1] [2]; 2013 No 111, Sch 2.8; 2014 No 64, Sch 2.4; 2015 No 58, Sch 3.38 [2]-[4]; 2024 No 47, Sch 1.16[1] [2]. This list appears as the amending instruments and schedules attached to s 3.
• s 4 (Staff). Substituted by 2015 No 58, Sch 3.38 [5].
• s 5 (Powers and functions). Amended by: 2000 No 53, Sch 3.8; 2004 No 55, Sch 1.13 [3]; 2016 No 27, Sch 1.12 [1] [2].
• s 7A (Certain names taken to be recorded names). Inserted by 2004 No 55, Sch 1.13 [4].
• s 9 (Submissions). Amended by 2001 No 112, Sch 1.12 [8]-[11].
• s 10 (Publication). Amended by 2001 No 112, Sch 1.12 [12] [13].
• s 15 (Names in publications). Amended by: 1993 No 47, Sch 1; 1994 No 32, Sch 2; 2001 No 112, Sch 1.12 [14] [15]; 2007 No 94, Sch 4.
• s 16 (Annual report). No specific amendment note in the extracted text beyond its original placement.
• s 18 (Delegation). Amended by 2004 No 55, Sch 1.13 [5]; 2010 No 59, Sch 2.37 [2] [3]; 2015 No 58, Sch 3.38 [6]-[8].
• s 19 (Regulations). Amended by 1987 No 48, Sch 32.
• s 20 (Transitional provision). The source records repeals and insertions: s 20 was repealed 1999 No 85, Sch 4 and inserted 2001 No 112, Sch 1.12 [16].

The Act text shows changes over time including the insertion of s 7A in 2004 to recognise names in modern maps and databases as recorded names under certain conditions, updates to delegation and procedural matters in 2004, 2010 and 2015, a substitution of the staff provision in 2015, and multiple earlier changes to membership and procedural provisions. The amendment notes in the source are the authoritative entries for legislative history within the Act text; the source does not include text of the amending Acts or detail the content of each amendment beyond the schedule references. For precise drafting changes, schedules and amending enactments cited in these notes must be consulted.

The Act text does not list or summarise judicial decisions. There are no cases named in the Act text itself, and the source does not record any reported litigation or judicial interpretation. Nonetheless, the Act contains several procedural and substantive features that shape how litigation, should it arise, would be handled.

• Criminal or summary prosecutions under s 15. The Act makes publishing a name as if it were a geographical name when it is not a geographical name an offence (s 15(2)). Proceedings for such an offence are to be dealt with summarily before the Local Court (s 15(3)) and cannot be commenced without the Minister’s written approval (s 15(4)). The Act therefore places a procedural gate on prosecutorial discretion. Where a party contemplates enforcing s 15 by prosecution, the prosecuting authority must obtain the Minister’s written approval before initiating proceedings, which will be heard in the Local Court.
• Continuity of rights and proceedings. Section 17 provides that an alteration or discontinuance of a name under this Act does not affect rights or obligations, and that legal proceedings may be continued or commenced under the altered or discontinued name. This clause anticipates litigation where parties might otherwise seek to challenge the validity of actions taken under a former name. The provision prevents name change from creating procedural defects in legal proceedings.
• Administrative review and Ministerial finality. The Board must inquire into submissions and report objections to the Minister, and the Minister’s decision to approve or disapprove a Board recommendation where objections exist is "final" (s 9(3), (5)). The Act does not create on its face any statutory right of review to challenge the Minister’s decision in court. That said, general avenues for judicial review of administrative action under public law principles would exist outside the Act’s text; the Act itself does not specify or exclude judicial review remedies. The Act’s finality language may be persuasive as to Parliament’s intention that the Minister be the ultimate decision maker for contested recommendations, but it does not expressly oust judicial review in the source text.
• Evidentiary operation of Gazette publication. The Act makes Gazette publication the operative act by which names become geographical names (s 7(1), s 10(1)-(2)). If litigation arises about whether a name is a geographical name, the Gazette notice and its date will be central evidence. Likewise, s 2’s definition of "recorded name" links to Lands Department maps and prescribes which map has primacy where names appear differently on different maps, which can be determinative in disputes over recorded name status.
• No case law referenced. Because the Act itself contains no reported decisions, practitioners or researchers seeking relevant litigation must consult external databases and law reports. The Act’s provisions concerning Ministerial approval for prosecutions under s 15 and the statutory protection of rights in s 17 are notable litigation‑relevant features that would likely be focal points if disputes were litigated.

In short, the Act establishes processes with potential for litigation around prosecution under s 15, judicial review of administrative decisions (subject to the Minister’s finality), evidentiary reliance on Gazette notices and maps, and preservation of private rights despite name changes. The Act text contains no internal record of cases or precedents.

The Act contains a number of drafting and practical features that can catch users, agencies and publishers unaware if they are not closely read. Below are concrete points to watch, defined by specific sections.

• "Place" is narrower than the lay meaning. The statutory definition of "place" excludes roads, areas as defined in the Local Government Act 1993, county council or joint organisation areas, electoral districts under the Electoral Act 2017, schools, and classes of places excluded by regulation (s 2: definition of place; s 19(1)(e)). Users who assume the Act governs road or school names will be mistaken unless regulations include them.
• Recorded name primacy and map vintage. A "recorded name" is the name as it appears on a Lands Department map and, where multiple maps differ, the name on the later map prevails (s 2: recorded name). This gives legal primacy to certain cartographic sources and to the most recently published map when discrepancies exist. Practitioners should examine map publication dates when assessing recorded name status.
• Modern database recognition is conditional. Section 7A permits the Board to treat names appearing identically in more than one publication or database as recorded names, but only if those publications are government agency outputs or have been publicly available for at least three years and are of reliable cartographic and geospatial standard, and provided the Board is not aware of inconsistent appearances (s 7A(1)-(3)). Relying on an online database as constituting a recorded name without checking these conditions can fail.
• Ministerial gate on prosecutions. Prosecutions under s 15 cannot be commenced without the Minister’s written approval (s 15(4)). A person or entity seeking enforcement must obtain that approval, which can stall timetables or public enforcement expectations.
• Limited penalty and summary jurisdiction. The penalty for publishing a non‑geographical name in specified materials is capped at five penalty units and prosecutions are summary in the Local Court (s 15(2)-(3)). Those seeking civil remedies or more substantial deterrence will not find them in the Act; enforcement is relatively low‑level.
• Multiple sources for departmental references. The Act defines "Department" as the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation (s 2). Yet s 3(2)(b) refers to the Secretary of the Department of Planning and Environment or a nominee. This divergence reflects changes over time and administrative arrangements; users should verify current departmental responsibilities and titles by reference to the latest administrative arrangements, not by assuming a single departmental reference in isolation.
• Board members outside the Government Sector Employment Act 2013. Section 3(16) excludes Board member appointments from the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 but s 4 makes Board staff subject to that Act. This creates two different governance regimes for members and staff with different employment and conduct consequences.
• Gazette publication is the operative event. A name becomes a geographical name only on publication of the notice in the Gazette (s 7(1), s 10(1)-(2)). Local usage, signage, or inclusion in non‑Gazette publications does not, by itself, create a geographical name under the Act. Conversely, once published in the Gazette the name is legally effective irrespective of local usage.
• Post office and Commonwealth consultation. The Board must consult appropriate Commonwealth officials before approving post office names and cannot discontinue such names without concurrence (s 11(1), s 14(3)). This is a cross‑jurisdictional choke point that can delay or constrain changes to postal names.
• No automatic appeal mechanism in the Act. The Act gives the Minister final say over approval of recommendations where objections are lodged (s 9(5)) and does not create an internal appeal to a tribunal. If a party wants to challenge a Ministerial decision, they must look to external judicial review routes, which are not set out in the Act.

These specific provisions and interactions should be checked in practice to avoid procedural missteps, missed consultation obligations, or enforcement surprises.

This section sets out concrete steps and practical compliance checks grounded in the Act’s text, for parties proposing names, publishers of maps and tourist materials, and agencies exercising naming powers under other statutes.

If you propose to assign or alter a name

1. Prepare the proposal and supporting materials that address form, spelling, meaning, pronunciation, origin and history if relevant. The Board has powers to investigate these matters under s 5(f)(i)-(ii).
2. Ensure the Board issues public notices. The Board must cause a notice of the proposal to be published in the Government Gazette and in a newspaper circulating in or near the place (s 8).
3. Allow for submissions. Any person may make a written submission within one month after Gazette publication, or within any longer period the Board allows (s 9(1)). Organise stakeholder engagement to make timely submissions or respond to objections within that period.
4. Expect the Board to inquire into all submissions and to either abandon the proposal or recommend adoption to the Minister with grounds of objections set out in its report when objections exist (s 9(2)-(3)). If no objections are received, the Board may publish the notice in the Gazette directly (s 10(1)(a)); otherwise the Minister must approve recommendations (s 9(5), s 10(1)(b)).
5. Secure Gazette publication for finality. A name becomes the geographical name only upon publication of the appropriate notice in the Gazette (s 7(1), s 10(2)). Track Gazette notices to confirm legal effect.
6. If the name relates to a post office, arrange consultation with the appropriate Commonwealth officer and note that discontinuance will require that officer’s concurrence (s 11(1), s 14(3)).

If you exercise naming power under another Act

1. Do not exercise the power to assign or alter a name unless the Board first concurs (s 12(1)). Build in time for the Board concurrence process before finalising naming decisions under other statutory powers.
2. Obtain Board concurrence and publish the concurrence in the Gazette to make the name the geographical name (s 12(2)).
3. If discontinuing names assigned under those other Acts, ensure the Board concurs and follow s 14 where Commonwealth concurrence is required.

If you publish maps, guides or electronic databases

1. Use geographical names as published in the Gazette where available. If using other names that are not geographical names under the Act, conspicuously state on the map or publication that the name is not a geographical name under this Act (s 15(1)).
2. Understand the contents captured by s 15: scientific manuscripts, guide‑books, handbooks, pamphlets, road maps, publications intended for travellers or tourists, and maps in those publications, and electronic publications (s 15(1), s 15(5)). Online map providers and app developers fall within "published" as defined.
3. Avoid exposure to prosecution. Failure to comply with s 15 can result in a penalty up to five penalty units and summary proceedings in the Local Court, and any prosecution requires the Minister’s written approval to commence (s 15(2)-(4)). If enforcement is a risk, seek clarification from the Board or legal advice before publication.

For Board and administrative compliance

1. Keep accurate registers and a gazetteer. The Board must compile and maintain a register of geographical names and may publish a gazetteer (s 5(h)-(i)). Maintain records in the forms and methods prescribed by regulations where applicable (s 19(1)(a)-(b)).
2. Follow meeting and quorum rules. The Board’s meeting procedures are subject to regulation and the Act requires five members for a quorum and majority voting rules (s 3(9)(a)-(c)). Record proxies, deputies and any instrument appointing a deputy under s 3(12).
3. Use delegation powers carefully. The Board may delegate prescribed powers to the chairperson (s 18(1)), and the Minister may delegate powers to the Secretary or Department employees (s 18(2)). Delegations can be revoked and do not prevent the delegating body from exercising the power directly (s 18(1)(b)(i)-(ii); s 18(2)(b)(ii)-(iii)). Ensure delegations are documented and consistent with regulation.
4. Prepare the annual report. The Board must prepare a report of its work for the year ending 30 June and forward it to the Minister who must lay it before both Houses of Parliament (s 16). Timely preparation supports parliamentary accountability and transparency.
5. Ensure staff employment arrangements align with s 4. Persons enabling the Board’s functions may be employed under the Government Sector Employment Act 2013; reconcile staff governance with the fact that Board members are not within that Act during their term (s 4; s 3(16)).

Database and cartographic compliance under s 7A

1. If relying on a database or publication to qualify a name as a recorded name under s 7A, document that the publication or database has been publicly available for at least three years and is of a reliable cartographic and geospatial standard, or confirm the name appears in more than one government agency publication (s 7A(1)(a)-(b)).
2. Check for inconsistent appearances. A name cannot be treated under s 7A if the Board is aware that the name appears differently on more than one publication or database (s 7A(2)). Provide evidence of consistent use where appropriate.

These steps align with the Act’s procedural and substantive provisions and, if followed, reduce litigation and enforcement risk, ensure administrative compliance and protect the legal effect of naming actions. For contested matters, engage early with the Board and plan for Ministerial decision timelines where objections may trigger s 9(5).