After a planning notice has been displayed, an applicant may be asked for a statutory declaration or other formal confirmation about the advertising. This is different from receiving photographs from the person who installed the sign.
A good project record can help the person completing a declaration understand what occurred. It cannot replace their obligation to make an accurate statement.
When might a declaration be required?
The responsible authority decides what advertising evidence is needed. Greater Geelong, for example, describes a declaration confirming that the required notice was displayed for the specified period. SPEAR guidance also explains that an advertising declaration may be required as part of the application workflow, depending on the authority's selected requirements.
Do not assume every planning notice job has an identical declaration form or that a contractor can sign it on behalf of the applicant.
Why photographs are useful but not conclusive
An installation photo can show that a particular sign was present at a recorded site visit. It does not by itself establish that the sign remained undisturbed for every day of the advertising period.
A practical evidence file may include the initial installation report, correspondence about repairs or checks, and a record of removal where appropriate. Such records help establish a timeline; they should not be presented as a guarantee of compliance.
Avoid common mistakes
Do not sign a form in advance of the required period. Do not state that an event occurred because it was scheduled in a CRM. Do not let an AI system generate a declaration asserting attendance without verified evidence. If the notice was damaged, missing or moved, record what happened and seek appropriate instructions.
A statutory declaration is a formal legal statement. Questions about who may make it or witness it should be checked against the actual declaration requirements and applicable law.
Better record-keeping for consultants
Keep the application number, authority instructions, final notice file, photographs, review notes and related dates together. When the authority asks for the declaration, the authorised declarant can review the complete record rather than searching through scattered email chains.
Need documented installation or removal? SiteNotice Australia can discuss the field-attendance evidence required for your job. Formal declarations remain subject to the authority's and declarant's requirements.
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