To dig or install a service in the road reserve, you must get our consent. This includes in, on, under or over roads, parking areas, footpaths, medians or nature strips.
It also includes works to install or maintain utilities (gas, water, electricity), vehicle crossings and stormwater connections. A new application type for vehicle crossings and legal point of discharge is now available. Visit Vehicle crossings (driveways and crossovers) and Stormwater for more information on these applications.
If you receive consent to undertake works, including permission to occupy public space, you don’t need to apply for a space occupation permit.
Standard conditions for works on municipal roads
A set of standard conditions apply to all consent for works issued by the City of Melbourne. You are required to meet all these standard conditions and any additional conditions added to the consent.
Conditions will be updated from time to time and made available here.
Before you apply
For some works, you must obtain preliminary permission or pre-approval before you apply for consent. This includes works on:
Before you apply for consent, you may need to:
Who you must get consent for works from depends on the type of road.
For freeways and arterial roads, you must get consent from the Department of Transport (DOT). Once you have consent via a Memorandum of Authorisation (MOA) from DOT, you need to submit the MOA to City of Melbourne, even if you are not working on any local roads.
For all other municipal roads, you must get consent from us.
Check your road type
Freeways and arterial roads are also called declared roads.
To check if the road you want to work on is a freeway or arterial road, view the maps of declared roadsOpens in new tab.
Freeway or arterial road
If you want to do work on a freeway or arterial road, you must get consent from the Department of Transport.
This includes work on the roadway or roadside.
To get consent to work on a freeway or arterial road, read about working within the road reserveOpens in new tab.
Municipal roads
We are responsible for local roads that are not declared roads within our municipality.
To get consent to work on a municipal road, follow the process outlined on this page.
If your planned works are within the road reserve, including on a road, street or lane in the municipality, you must prepare a Traffic Management Plan (TMP). This includes work on footpaths, nature strips and medians.
A TMP will ensure your work is safe for pedestrians, road users and workers.
You must submit your plan with the application for consent.
Work on your TMP
Read how to prepare Traffic Management Plans.
To get an idea of what your plan should look like, see the example Traffic Guidance Scheme (TGS) (PDF 3.1 MB).
You can also read the comprehensive guide to temporary traffic managementOpens in new tab.
For more information, including dates and times of road or footpath closures, email enquiries@melbourne.vic.gov.au or call 03 9658 9658.
Major works typically involve changes to infrastructure. They can include changes to drainage, service covers or removing street trees. Major works can take months to complete.
There are separate requirements for utility or public transport providers. Below are some of the features of major and minor works.
| Major Works | Minor Works |
|---|---|
| Requires changes to infrastructure such as drainage, service covers or removing street trees. | The installation, repair or maintenance of aerial cables or other overhead non-road infrastructure. |
| Requires significant traffic management. | May or may not require traffic management. |
| Any organisation or contractor requiring the use of public space to facilitate major project activities that are of a long term duration and are considered to have a significant impact on the surrounding area. | The repair or maintenance of:
|
| Require Third party approvals such as VicRoads, Public Transport Victoria, Yarra Trams and Bus companies. | Works undertaken so as to enable a person to be provided a service by a utility. |
Requires significant occupancy of kerbside space outside the construction site. Requires the removal/protection of trees. | The excavation of:
|
Major works typically involve changes to infrastructure. They can include changes to drainage, service covers or removing street trees. Major works can take months to complete.
There are separate requirements for utility or public transport providers.
Major works
If you are doing works that occur over several weeks or have significant impact on the surrounding area, they are considered major works. If you are planning to undertake major works, please contact the Infrastructure Development Team to discuss your project before submitting your application.
If you are a utility, provider of public transport, responsible road authority or their agent, please contact the Infrastructure Development Team on 03 9658 9658 to arrange a pre-application meeting.
Find out more in our major projects traffic management fact sheet (DOCX 38 KB).
Minor works
For minor works, you must apply for consent if the works:
- require traffic management
- include the excavation of any part of the roadway, pathway or shoulder.
If neither of these actions are required, then there is no need to apply for consent for the minor works.
You must read and understand the definitions of minor works and traffic impact works in the Road Management (Works and Infrastructure) Regulations 2015Opens in new tab.
Minor works conducted by a utility or provider of public transport
If you are a utility, provider of public transport or their agent then you must obtain consent and notify the City of Melbourne for all traffic impact and major works on local and arterial roads.
You are exempt from applying for consent if the ‘minor works’ do not require traffic management or the excavation of any part of a roadway, pathway or shoulder.
To determine if any exemptions apply, you must read and understand the definitions of 'minor works' and 'traffic impact works' and the regulations in the Road Management (Works and Infrastructure) Regulations 2015 You must read and understand the definitions of minor works and traffic impact works in the Road Management (Works and Infrastructure) Regulations 2015Opens in new tab.
You must provide a copy of a certificate of currency for public liability insurance. This must be for a value of at least $20 million.
Read more about our public liability insurance requirements.
If your works occur after hours, or might impact traffic or residents, you will need to notify stakeholders in writing.
You must provide:
- a notification letter that you will give to affected property occupiers
- a map showing the area the letter will be distributed.
You will also need to upload copies of these when you apply for consent.
See the notification letter and distribution map templates:
You may need to notify stakeholders listed in the standard conditions for works on municipal roads. Refer to information on managing stakeholders impacted by your works.
Notification of completion of works
You must notify us of completed works on the 14th day of the following month after reinstatement of any roadway, pathway or shoulder.
How to apply
You must apply for consent for works using the online formOpens in new tab.
To start an online application, you'll need to log in with your registered customer account. Find out more about how to register and log in.
As part of your application, you'll need to:
- provide details including your contractor’s names, addresses, emails and phone numbers
- provide various supporting documents
- pay an application fee.
As part of your application, you will need to attach supporting documents that may include:
- a Traffic Management Plan (TMP)
- civil design drawings and site plan
- certificate of currency for public liability insurance (minimum $20m coverage)
- a stakeholder notification letter (if required)
- a stakeholder distribution map (if required)
- if relevant, a reference number for your preliminary permission or pre-approval – for example, for vehicle crossings or legal point of discharge.
- copy of MOA from the Department of Transport (if doing works on a freeway or arterial road)
- site storage plan (if required).
Your drawings must be to scale and show the extent of the opening or excavation on the footpath or road.
You should also include a copy of any documents issued by Infrastructure Development.
The fee for consent for works is based on your work type and the road’s speed limit.
Major works (up to 50 km/h)
- For works on the roadway, shoulder or a pathway the fee is $383.80.
- Otherwise the fee is $98.00.
Major works (more than 50 km/h)
- For works on the roadway, shoulder or a pathway the fee is $703.80.
- Otherwise the fee is $383.80.
Minor works (up to 50 km/h)
- For works on the roadway, shoulder or a pathway the fee is $151.90.
- Otherwise the fee is $98.00.
Minor works (more than 50 km/h)
- For works on the roadway, shoulder or a pathway the fee is $151.90.
- Otherwise the fee is $98.00.
We will send you an invoice for the balance if your fee total is higher than this.
To amend your permit at any time, you may be charged an amendment fee of $151.90.
Machinery storage/storage of equipment will incur a fee of $2.30 per square meter.
Reserve a parking bay
For further information please refer to Reserve a parking bay.
If you require a site compound you will need to let us know in your application and provide a TMP showing your storage compound with safety measures.
A site compound is for the storage of machinery, portable toilet, and materials associated with the permitted works.
You will be charged a fee of $2.30 per square metre per day for machinery storage/storage of equipment.
Apply for consent for works
After you apply and completion of works
Your consent application will take up to 15 business days.
If you are a utility, public transport provider or road authority, your consent application will take up to 5 business days (for minor works) and 15 business days (for major works).
You must ensure that site noise levels are compliant with Environmental Protection Authority Victoria guidelines. Refer to 1834: Civil construction, building and demolition guideOpens in new tab for detailed information.
You must deliver your stakeholder notification letter at least 5 business days before you start work.
Stakeholders must be able to contact your site manager and traffic manager at any time with questions, access requirements and complaints.
Your works manager is responsible for reinstatement of any area impacted by works.
This must be in accordance with all conditions set out in the consent for works.
If you have an exemption from the requirement to gain consent, you still need to reinstate to our standards.
Detailed construction standards for the reinstatement of our assets are provided in our engineering standards and specifications.
Reinstatement works are subject to a defects liability period of 12 months from the date we approve your reinstatement.
We can ask you to rectify issues with your work during this period.
After reinstatement you must submit a notification of completed works. You must include:
- the consent reference number - for example, ECW 2020-20
- location details
- a photograph of the work
- detail of the reinstatement works.
If you have completed works you must notify us within 7 business days of permanent reinstatement unless you have an exemption.
If you are a utility, public transport provider or their agent, you must notify us by the 14th day of the month following reinstatement.
If someone else will be taking over responsibility for the permanent reinstatement, such as a developer, please provide their permit number when you submit your notification.
Submit a notification of completed works
Emergency works
If you are an infrastructure or works manager, you don’t need consent before undertaking emergency works on roads.
You must submit a notification of emergency works within 24 hours of conducting them.
Emergency works mitigate an immediate risk to a person’s life, health, property or the environment.
Examples include:
- burst water mains
- gas leaks
- fallen power lines.
Works that can be deferred to a later date are not emergency works.
Works should make the site safe for all road users with full reinstatement wherever possible.
Permanent reinstatement must be completed within 28 days of temporary reinstatement.
You must apply for consent if additional repair works or reinstatement are needed after the initial emergency response.
For emergency works, follow this checklist:
- Respond to the emergency and carry out works
- Make the area safe and reinstate – permanently or temporarily.
- Notify us within 24 hours that you carried out emergency works.
- Apply for consent for works to undertake additional works and permanent reinstatement.
- Get consent and carry out additional works and permanent reinstatement.
- Notify us of completed additional works by the 14th day of the next month.
Submit a notification of emergency works
Extension or change of date and time
You can request to extend the end date or operating time of your consent for works.
Requests to operate during weekdays, peak hour or after hours may be rejected if there are traffic impacts, safety concerns or noise impacting residents.
You’ll need to lodge a new application for consent if:
- your consent for works has expired – unless we are directing you to fix a reinstatement
- the scope of works has changed
- your consent was issued more than 12 months ago
You must include your existing consent number – for example, ECW-2021-207.
You will be charged an amendment fee, and assessment of your request can take up to five business days.
Request an extension or change of date and time
Penalties for works without consent
If you don’t get consent, notify us or follow conditions, you can be fined.
Some common offences include:
- conducting works in, on, under or over a road without consent
- failing to notify us when works are complete
- failure to comply with consent conditions.
We reserve the right to undertake rectification works. We will seek to recover costs.
We may take legal action if invoices remain unpaid.
Code of Practice for Building, Construction and Works
The Road Management ActOpens in new tab and our Code of Practice for Building, Construction and Works 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.
More information
The consent for works process is detailed in the Road Management Act 2004Opens in new tab and Activities Local Law 2024.
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