Roads and roadsides

Who is responsible?

The maintenance of roads and roadsides in Nillumbik is shared between Council and VicRoads. 

Roads

Council has responsibility for local and non-arterial roads. VicRoads looks after our major arterial roads.

VicRoads roads

Major roads (arterial roads, highways and freeways) are managed by VicRoads.

Arterial roads are those which carry a high volume of traffic.

VicRoads is responsible for both the maintenance of the road and the management of traffic on these arterial routes.

To report an issue on a VicRoads managed road, please report the issue to VicRoads.

Council receives a lot of feedback regarding increasing traffic volumes and congestion on these main roads. While it is not within Council’s ability or role to solve these problems, we do make regular representation to VicRoads and State Government regarding the problems experienced by Nillumbik residents.

Council roads

Council is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all public non-arterial roads. We ensure the local roads around Nillumbik remain safe, functional and well-maintained.

Local and non-arterial roads include local streets, service, link and collector roads. These are roads with lower volumes of through-traffic and mostly handle local traffic.

Public Road Register

The Nillumbik Public Road Register identifies which roads or parts of roads Council is responsible for.

• Download a .pdf copy of the Nillumbik Public Road Register(PDF, 2MB)
• Download an .xlsx copy of the Nillumbik Public Road Register(XLSX, 151KB)

This document is also available for inspection at the Civic Centre during business hours.

Roadsides

A 'roadside' is the area between the edge of a road and the boundary of a property, not including the footpath. In residential areas these are often referred to as 'nature strips'.

VicRoads roadsides

VicRoads has responsibility for roadsides along most major roads as listed under 'VicRoads roads' above. There are some exceptions which are listed under 'Council roadsides' below.

Council roadsides

Council has responsibility for roadsides for all public non-arterial roads. 

In addition, we have some limited responsibilities for roadsides on major arterial roads. This includes footpath maintenance, and in some cases, parking and parking control.

Maintenance of roads and roadsides

Our Roads and Drainage Maintenance team undertakes road maintenance such as:

• grading unsealed roads annually 
• repairing potholes
• repairing and maintaining footpaths
• sweeping sealed roads on a six-week cycle
• collecting and disposing of dead animals from roads and roadsides
• installing and maintaining street signs
• installing and maintaining street furniture including bollards

A dedicated inspector identifies defects using the latest GPS technology.

Road Management Plan

Roads in Nillumbik are managed by Council in accordance with Council’s Road Management Plan(PDF, 1MB). The plan details the frequency that road assets are inspected and the standards to which they are maintained and repaired.

Roadside Management Plan

Council is responsible for the management and maintenance of approximately 1,200 kilometres of rural roadsides. Roadsides are the areas either side of the road and between carriageways which are not used by motorised vehicle traffic.

Roadsides within Nillumbik are valuable because they provide:

• safe and efficient function of the carriageway,
• an alignment for utility networks,
• opportunities for fire risk management,
• unique ecological, cultural and recreational value

Our Roadside Management Plan responds to the management issues associated with maintaining these values, in a context of the proper function of roads and their reserves. 

The plan consists of three parts:

• Part 1: Background and Policy(PDF, 4MB)
• Part 2: Operational Guidelines(PDF, 1MB)
• Part 3: Implementation(PDF, 277KB)

You can find details about Council's current major construction projects, including roadworks, on our project and works page.

Unsealed roads

Nillumbik has approximately 310km of unsealed roads. This is about the same distance as between Melbourne and Albury-Wodonga!

As part of Council’s maintenance program, every unsealed road in the shire is graded at least once per year.

Where required, additional maintenance is also carried out, including:

• regrading
• pothole repair
• shoulder repair
• table drain maintenance and culvert maintenance
• other repairs

When will my road be graded?

The maintenance program commences in the southern parts of the Shire in February-March and progress north over the calendar year.

Sealing unsealed roads

Roads are sealed in one of the following ways: 

• Funding is provided via a Council program, or through funding from other levels of government. Generally, this funding is reserved for roads that have a high priority in accordance with Council's Unsealed Roads Improvement Prioritisation Policy(PDF, 387KB). Using the criteria outlined in this policy, Council has assessed all unsealed roads in Nillumbik and developed an Unsealed Roads Priority List(PDF, 235KB). This is based on a desktop assessment of all roads, with some roads also subject to a site inspection. Please provide any questions or feedback via phone 9433 3111 or via email nillumbik@nillumbik.vic.gov.au

• Developers seal existing unsealed roads as part of their planning permit obligations when a development is built. In new subdivisions, the cost of infrastructure (such as sealed roads, footpaths and drainage) is shared across all lots to be sold by the developer. The purchaser of the new lot and its subsequent purchasers pay to get the benefits of the infrastructure.

• Landowners pay for the road to be sealed through a Special Charge Scheme.

Special Charge Schemes

A Special Charge Scheme is a charge levied on landowners who benefit from infrastructure works on assets affecting their property.

Implemented under the Local Government Act, a Special Charge Scheme allows Council to recover its capital investment from those who benefit directly from the works.

These works may include: 

• sealed roads
• kerb and channel
• footpaths
• underground drainage
• car parking 
• streetscape
• advertising
• design works. 

Council calculates these charges based on the benefit to each included property.

Typically, Special Charge Schemes are initiated by residents via a petition signed by property owners indicating their interest in road construction. Download a Petition Template for a Special Charge Scheme(DOCX, 23KB) 

Find out more by viewing Council's Special Rate and Special Charge Scheme Policy and Guidelines(PDF, 1MB)

Working in the road reserve

A permit is required to perform any works in a Council managed road reserve (the public land outside the private property boundary). 

These works may include constructing a vehicle crossover to a driveway, or connecting stormwater drainage to the Council-owned drainage system. 

If you are planning to do any works in the road reserve, see Working in the road reserve.

Report a road issue

You can report a road issue by submitting a service request through our online portal.

Road issues include:

• pot holes
• asphalt in need of repair
• safety barrier maintenance/repair
• edge break or edge drop off 
• grading
• line marking
• street sweeping

Please note that Council does not maintain all roads - some roads are maintained by VicRoads. See the previous section on this page 'Who is responsible?' to determine if Council maintains the road you are reporting.

Report a road issue

You can also let us know about an injured or dead animal on our roads.