Identify your property for emergency services with a free rural number

Published on 09 March 2021

Could the police, ambulance or fire brigade find your house in the event of an emergency?

As part of their ongoing Recovery efforts, Kempsey Shire Council is issuing and installing free property numbers to owners of eligible properties located outside the shire’s towns and villages who apply through Council’s Rural Property Numbering Program.

Residents should go to Council’s website to check if their property is eligible via an interactive map and then submit an application.

Council’s Recovery Coordinator, Jo McGoldrick, said the simple addition of property numbers which are easily visible from the road could make a difference between saving and losing lives and homes.

“During the Black Summer Bushfires it became apparent that emergency services, particularly the NSW RFS crews, were having trouble identifying people’s properties due to no clear numbers being displayed,” she said.

“Currently, rural addresses are made up from all different types of identification and descriptions that assume local knowledge.

“This causes confusion, delays and inconvenience for emergency services and the delivery of goods and services. A standardised means of locating rural properties with a system that is accurate, easy to understand, and easy to apply, can make all the difference in quickly locating your house or your neighbours’ house in an emergency.”

Council received funding under the Federal Government’s Drought Communities Program to provide and install the numbers on a large number of properties.

“We’re encouraging residents to check their eligibility and apply for a number. The program is free but there are a limited amount of numbers available so get in quick,” Ms McGoldrick said.

For more information on the program and to find the interactive map and fill out an application form click here

Alternatively, phone Council’s Customer Service Centre on 6566 3200.