Road Naming is the assigning of an official name to a section of road. Road naming is a council responsibility.
New roads are typically assigned a name when land is subdivided. Councils may; specify to the subdivider the road names to be used, allow the subdivider to select names from a pre-approved list, or allow the subdivider to submit names for approval.
Councils can also name existing unnamed roads and renamed existing named roads.
Victoria
In Victoria Councils are granted the power to name roads, under Clause 5, Schedule 10 of the Victorian Local Government Act 1989, which states that:
(1) A Council may-
(a) approve, assign or change the name of a road; and
(b) erect signs on a road; and
(c) approve, assign and change the number of a road and any premises next to a road; and
(d) require people to number their premises and to renew those numbers.
(2) The Council, in exercising a power under paragraph (a) of subclause (1) must act in accordance with the guidelines in force for the time being under the Geographic Place Names Act 1998 and must advise the Registrar under that Act of the action it has taken under that paragraph.