Pipe Crossings of a Public Road
Access to water is a significant issue for all rural properties, and in many cases there is a need to get the water from one side of the road to the other for stock or domestic purposes. Council has in place an approval process to allow pipe crossings of public roads.
Council requires road crossings to be installed within a suitable conduit laid across the full width of the public road reserve, from within private property to within private property. Council does not allow pipelines to be installed within drainage structures such as pipes and culverts. Conduits used must be continuous from one side of the road reserve to the other.
Council does not generally allow pipeline conduits to be installed by excavation within the road reserve. Installation should be done using under boring or directional drilling methods from within private property wherever possible to minimise disturbance of the road reserve and road pavement.
Conduits are to be installed to ensure a minimum cover of 450mm is maintained under the lowest point of the road formation, normally the table drains adjacent to the roadway. Signage is also to be provided at the boundary to indicate the location of the installed conduit. These requirements are shown diagrammatically in Appendix H of Council’s Road Reserve Management Plan (see diagram below). Installation to these standards ensures that;
- No damage will be done to Council’s road in the event of a pipe failure
- That the pipe line will not be damaged during routine maintenance and construction works
- The pipeline can be maintained and monitored from within private property
Any installation of a road crossing requires approval from Council prior to undertaking the installation. Any such approval should be made in writing and include a plan showing the proposed location of the road crossing conduit. This location should then be marked on site using a red rag on the fence or similar, clearly recognisable method. No fee is charged for the application and approval process.
Council will accept no liability for damage to pipelines within the road reserve that have not been approved and installed in accordance with Council’s requirements.
