A vehicle crossing (vehicle crossover) is the part of a driveway which spans the property boundary to the edge of the road.
Council's Local Law states that “A person must not, without a permit, construct, install, remove or alter a vehicle crossing". The Local Government Act 1989 (clause 12 of schedule 10) empowers Council to grant approvals for the construction of vehicle crossings.
Vehicle Crossing & Responsibility
Crossovers are the landowner’s responsibility. Construction is at the property owner’s expense and must be carried out to Council’s standards, subject to a permit. When installing a new driveway, landowner's must also pay for any modifications to Council assets (e.g. paths and kerb). The property owner is responsible for safely maintaining the driveway and immediate surrounds.
Urban areas:
Council retains management responsibility for any footpaths, kerb and channel. The landowner has management responsibility for the rest of the crossover even though it is within the road reserve.
Where there is no footpath, kerb and channel, the landowner is responsible for the entire crossover from road edge to property line.
Rural areas:
Where there is no footpath or kerb and channel, the landowner is responsible for the entire driveway. This includes any culverts required for roadside drainage under the driveway. Any work to be carried out within the road reserve must be carried out to Council Standards.
If you plan to install, alter or remove a vehicle crossing you must apply for a permit from the road authority of the road that the proposed vehicle crossing will be connecting to. For the vast majority of roads, including local, collector and link roads, the road authority is Moorabool Shire Council. The road authority for declared arterial roads (e.g. Grant Street, Geelong-Ballan Road and Midland Highway) is VicRoads.
Fees
There is a fee of $147.90
How to apply
What happens next?
Council will review the application. Once approved, you will be sent:
- A letter detailing approval and any extra condition
- A standard drawing of the crossing to be constructed
Applicants should allow up to 10 business days to be issued a permit.
Construction or alterations cannot start until the permit is issued.
Construction of the Crossing
Council must be notified at least 24 hours before the concrete is poured in order for an inspection to take place. For crushed rock crossings, the timing of the inspections will vary.
Minimum clearances
- Drainage Pits and Pipes - 1.0 metre
- Signs - 1.0 metre
- Street Lights - 1.0 metre
- Fire Hydrants - 1.0 metre
- Utility Service Assets - 1.0 metre (else consent from asset owner and/or responsible authority required)
- Footpath Ramps - 2.0 metres
- Trees - 3.0 metres (else consent from a Council arborist)
- Between Crossings - 9.0 metres (urban), 12.0 metres (rural, between adjacent properties)
- Intersections - 9.0 metres (urban), 12.0 metres (rural, between adjacent properties)
Vehicle Crossing Widths
The standard width for a residential crossing is 3.6 metres. Greater width approvals are subject to factors including property frontage length and the demand for parking. Maximum widths vary for other types of crossings.
Urban Residential Crossing - Technical Guide
Council expects that each crossing contained within the road reserve is constructed with an all-weather surface. The section of crossing passing through the footpath zone must conform to the requirements of: Australian Standard AS1428.1 2009 – Design for Access and Mobility.
A surface that matches the texture and colour of the adjacent footpaths is preferred. Patterns creating surface irregularities more than 5mm high are not permitted. Alternative surfaces may be approved by Council if they comply with Australian Standard AS1428.1 2009 – Design for Access and Mobility.
Coloured edge strips will only be permitted when adjacent and parallel to the alignment of footpaths. Feature edge strips are not permitted to cross the path of travel along the footpath. The layback requires steel mesh reinforcement and must be included as per the standard drawing attached with every permit approval.
Crossings to adjacent properties should either be fully combined, with a maximum width of 6.0m, or have a minimum separation of 9m.
Vehicle crossings to residential corner allotments should be located:
- At least 6metres from the intersection of road reserves
- 2metres clear of pedestrian kerb crossings.
Rural Residential Crossing - Technical Guide
Council expects all rural vehicle access crossings to include a culvert unless they are located at an obvious high point. The minimum width of culvert is 4.88m and all culverts are equipped with an end-wall at each end of the pipe.
The minimum pipe size varies according to the slope of the terrain. In flat terrain the minimum pipe size is 375mm in rural living zones. Pipes should be laid with the pipe invert 150mm below the invert of the table drain. In steeper terrain the risk of silting and blockage is reduced, and the minimum pipe size is 300mm.
The minimum pipe size is 300mm in low density residential zones where table drain batters are flat enough to allow mowing. In these instances, the pipes should be laid with the pipe invert matching the table drain invert.
Reinforced concrete swale crossings can be used when:
- the depth of the table drain is less than 350mm
- the product of the depth and the peak flow velocity is less than 0.35
- and provided that Council’s Asset Unit is satisfied the crossing can be safely used by standard cars.
The crossover with either a 300mm or 375mm culvert, may have end-walls.
NOTE: Each application is reviewed on a case by case basis and requirements may vary.
For more information about vehicle crossings, please contact Council's Asset Protection Officer on 5366 7100 or info@moorabool.vic.gov.au.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a second crossing?
Approval for a second crossing may only be given if the property frontage is greater than 20 metres, and if would not lead to any other complications.