Works on Roads and Footpaths

You need to get approval from Council before you do any work on public roads, footpaths, or land between a road and private property. These areas are known as the road reserve.

Approval for road reserve works is granted by Council under Section 138 of the Roads Act, and they’re often called Section 138 applications.

Common types of road reserve works that need Council approval include:

Constructing a driveway (see below for details)
Connecting stormwater to the kerb and gutter
Connecting stormwater to the street drainage system
Receiving large deliveries that will park or store material in the road reserve, including skip bins
Using construction vehicles in the road reserve, like cranes, concrete pumps or cherry pickers
Building a hoarding
Doing frontage works as part of an approved development (see below for details).

You also need to make a Section 138 application to request a road closure.

You need to include a Vehicle and Pedestrian Management Plan with your application. This must be prepared by a qualified person with Level 4 Certification in Traffic Control, and clearly show their name and ticket number.

Apply for road reserve works

Before you can apply, you need to log in or register in our Online Services system.

Once you are logged in, select Lodge an Application, then Permits & Licences.

You need Council approval before you build a new driveway or replace an existing driveway.

A single driveway must be between 3m and 5.5m wide, and constructed in line with our standard drawings PDF, 5509.54 KB.

Fees for driveway crossings are shown in the bottom section of this page.

Apply for driveway crossing

Before you can apply, you need to log in or register in our Online Services system.

Once you are logged in, select Lodge an Application, then Permits & Licences and Vehicular and special crossings (Driveway Crossings).

If you need more information, email or call us on (02) 4227 7111.

Some development approvals may include development consent conditions for a developer to upgrade the road reserve or do works within Council land. This is known as frontage works.

Examples of common frontage works include civil and landscaping works on the road verge, as well as building new footpaths, kerb or guttering. In some cases, developers can also be required to reconstruct part of a road.

Frontage works applications are intended to cover more complicated proposals where a new development may impact public spaces or public infrastructure.

Frontage works need to be designed by a suitably qualified engineer in line with the development consent, as well as Council’s standard drawings PDF, 5509.54 KB and Subdivision Policy PDF, 1723.35 KB.

If the work is in the Wollongong City Centre or a key business centre, a Public Domain Technical Manual PDF, 7612.46 KB may also apply.

You need to get Council approval before starting frontage works.

Apply for frontage works

Before you can apply, you need to log in or register in our Online Services system.

Once you are logged in, select Lodge an Application, then Permits & Licences and Frontage Levels.

Information to include in your application

You may need to provide detailed information to Council about your frontage works before we approve them. The requirements will usually be stated in the development consent, but could include:

A civil design plan, including layout, long section, cross section, etc
A landscape plan
Stormwater drainage plans, including layout, long sections and hydraulic grade line analysis
Payment of the application fee (see the Fees section of this page for details).

Once your plans for frontage work are approved, you can proceed to apply for approval under Section 138 of the Roads Act 1993 to occupy and undertake the works within the road. Use the link in the top section of this page to apply for road reserve works.

If you have questions about frontage works, email or call us on (02) 4227 7111.

Fees for works in the road (Section 138)

Below are our current fees for Works in the Road Reserve, Open or Occupy, under Section 138 of the Roads Act 1993.

Fee NameFee Name	GSTGST	Current Fee (incl. GST)Current Fee (incl. GST)
Fee NameConstruction Inspection fee for work on Existing or New Council Assets (Road Opening) – per Inspection	GSTN	Fee incl. GST$149.00
Fee NameRental Category A – Up to 5m Occupation zone	GSTN	Descriptive Fee Narrative Free
Fee NameRental Category A – Up to 5m Occupation zone	GSTN	Fee incl. GST$113.00
Fee NameRental Category B – Up to 10m Occupation zone	GSTN	Fee incl. GST$2,420.00
Fee NameRental Category B – Up to 10m Occupation zone	GSTN	Fee incl. GST$227.00
Fee NameRental Category C – Up to 25m long Occupation zone	GSTN	Fee incl. GST$4,035.00
Fee NameRental Category C – Up to 25m long Occupation zone	GSTN	Fee incl. GST$565.00
Fee NameRental Category D – Site Specific Job or Larger Scale Jobs greater than 25m in length	GSTN	Descriptive Fee Narrative Damage Deposit amount based on Councils Fees and Charges for Reinstatement of Road and Footpath Surfaces
Fee NameRental Category D – Site Specific Job or Larger Scale Jobs greater than 25m in length	GSTN	Descriptive Fee Narrative Rental amount will be based on site specific requirements at a rate defined under Rental - per linear metre length
Fee NameRental – per lineal metre (per metre per month)	GSTN	Fee incl. GST$24.00
Fee NameRoad Opening Permit Application Fee	GSTN	Fee incl. GST$203.00
Fee NameWorks on Road Reserves pursuant to a contract with Council	GSTN	Descriptive Fee Narrative Free

Fees for driveway crossings (vehicular and special crossings)

Below are our current fees that apply to vehicular and special crossings, including driveway crossings.

Fee NameFee Name	GSTGST	Current Fee (incl. GST)Current Fee (incl. GST)
Fee NameAdditional Inspection Fees	GSTN	Fee incl. GST$112.00
Fee NameApplication Fee – (Vehicular crossings) including up to two (2) inspections	GSTN	Fee incl. GST$377.00
Fee NameApplication for Footpath Levels (includes one (1) inspection)	GSTN	Fee incl. GST$112.00