Place skips, bins or containers on the road

Skip permits

You must not place a skip, bin or container on the road until you have been issued with a skip permit.

Skips can only be placed or collected during permitted hours. See when you can place or remove a skip, bin or container.

A permit is not required if the skip will be placed in a construction permit zone, subject to the requirements below. See where you can place a skip bin or container below for more information.

Eligibility

To apply for a skip permit, you must:

• be an authorised representative of the company that owns the skip, bin or container
• hold current public liability insurance that meets our requirements.

Before you apply

Permit holders are responsible for ensuring skips: 

• are only placed or collected between 7am and 7pm Monday to Friday, and 8am and 3pm Saturday. 
• do not stand on the road at any time a restricted parking condition applies 
• do not obstruct or impede access, activity or the lines of sight of road users
• are highly visible, clean and clearly marked with owner identification. 

Review the skip permit conditions:

Supporting documents

When you apply, you will need to: 

• Upload a public liability insurance certificate of currency with a minimum of $20 million coverage (read more about our public liability insurance requirements).
• Upload a Traffic Management Plan to ensure materials can be moved to and from the skip safely if you propose to place the skip in a centre-of-road parking area (read more about preparing Traffic Management Plans). 

Fees

Application fee of $97 per application. 

(Application fee of $194 per application if you need to place or collect the skip out-of-hours). 

Permit fee of $97 per parking bay occupied, per day. 

Note:

• You can apply for a single permit to place multiple skips in the same location. 
• Application fees are based on whether the skip can be placed and collected within our local laws hours. See below for more information on when you can place a skip, bin or container. 
• Permit fees are calculated per parking bay (or equivalent length of 6 metres) occupied by the skip, bin or container, per day. 

To start an application, you'll need to log in with your registered customer account. Find out more about how to register and log in

When you can place or remove a skip, bin or container

Skips, bins or containers must only be placed or collected during the following times:

• 7am to 7pm on weekdays
• 8am to 3pm on Saturday.

If you need to place or remove a skip outside of these local law hours, you will need to specify them in your application and will require a minimum of three business days in processing, and additional fees. Permits for out-of-hours works are issued at our discretion. Their approval is not guaranteed.

You can’t place your skip, bin or container until your permit has been issued.

Where you can place a skip, bin or container

Your skip, bin or container must be placed in front of the address used in your application. 

If the location is not available, you must then place it in the nearest possible place that: 

• complies with the permit conditions 
• provides for the safe movement of materials to and from the skip.

It must be placed parallel with the kerb within a parking bay or loading zone. 

You can download a skip placement checklist. It can be laminated and kept in a vehicle cabin.

Construction parking zone 

Permits for skips, bins and containers are not required within construction parking zones, provided they remain wholly within the 'Permit Zone Construction Vehicles' sign and do not stand on the road outside the days and times indicated. 

For example, in a construction parking zone where the sign has an end time of 6.30pm, if the skip will remain on the road beyond that time, you must have a skip permit.

Reserved parking 

You can place a skip, bin or container in a reserved parking area only when you have permission from the permit holder. 

This includes signs: 'No Stopping, Reserved Parking Permit Holders Excepted'. 

Parking sign restrictions 

You must ensure a restricted parking condition does not apply for any time your skip, bin or container is in place. A restriction is indicated by a red parking sign. 

For example, a red parking sign might show a clearway operates between 4.30pm and 6.30pm. If your skip is in this location, you must remove it before the clearway applies. You can place the skip back after the clearway time ends. 

Where you can’t place a skip, bin or container

Your skip, bin or container must not: 

• stop the passing of a motor vehicle 
• block or impede visibility near a driveway or vehicle crossing 
• block any stormwater channel. 

You can’t place it in or on:

• clearways and no stopping areas 
• bike lanes or footpaths 
• nature, median or dividing strips 
• bus, taxi or permit zones
• parking bays for people with disabilities
• Bourke Street Mall
• Swanston Street between Flinders Street and La Trobe Street. 

Continuous dividing lines and strips 

Unless parking signs say otherwise, you can’t place your skip, bin or container within 3 m of: 

• double continuous dividing lines 
• a single continuous dividing line 
• a single continuous line to the left or right of a broken dividing line 
• a dividing strip. 

You must leave 3 m of clear space between your skip, bin or container and the line or strip. 

Traffic lights and intersections 

You can’t place your skip, bin or container within: 

• 20 m of an intersection with traffic lights 
• 10 m of an intersection without traffic lights. 

School or pedestrian crossings and bus stops 

You can’t place your skip, bin or container near a school crossing, pedestrian crossing or bus stop within: 

• 20 m before
• 10 m after. 

Tram stops or safety zones and railway crossings 

You can’t place your skip, bin or container within: 

• 10 m before a tram safety zone or tram stop 
• 10 m after a tram safety zone
• 20 m either side of a railway crossing. 

Existing collection areas 

A skip must not be placed in any area that impedes the collection of existing garbage compactors or recycling hubs. This includes:

• Lacey Place
• Bullens Lane
• Caledonian Lane
• Kirks Lane
• Balcombe Place
• Albion Alley
• Carson Place. 

Find our garbage compactors and recycling hubs. 

Skip, bin or container size

Your skip, bin or container must not exceed the dimensions of a marked parking bay. 

Where there are no marked lines for the parking bay, the skip must not be wider than 2.2 m.

It must not encroach on a traffic lane, including bike lanes.

In a laneway, your skip must allow 3 m of clear space for vehicles to safely pass. 

Code of Practice for Building, Construction and Works

The Code of Practice for Building, Construction and Works in the City of Melbourne sets out all safety and amenity requirements when using or impacting public space for any kind of building, construction or general works.
These requirements are intended to protect the public and our property around sites where works are occurring