Road Management Plan Draft 2021
Road Management Plan Draft 2021
Road Management Plan Draft 2021
Plan 2021
<Insert Policy date here>
1 Introduction ........................................................................... 2
2 Context .................................................................................. 2
3 Policy .................................................................................... 4
5 References............................................................................ 5
Appendix C: Inspections............................................................ 19
1.2 Scope
The objective of this document is to clearly define:
The road assets that Council maintains
The standards, policies and procedures used to maintain those assets
The processes used to establish the appropriate standards.
The scope of this plan is restricted to the specific requirements identified in the Code
of Practice for Road Management Plans.
This plan covers only the roads and road sections on Council’s Register of Public
Roads that are identified as being the responsibility of the City of Boroondara.
2 Context
2.1 Road Management Act 2004
The purpose of the Road Management Act 2004 (The Act) is to enable the
coordinated management of public roads that will promote safe and efficient State
and local public road networks, and the responsible use of road reserves for other
legitimate purposes.
The City of Boroondra is the ‘coordinating road authority’ as defined by The Act for
all roads within its boundaries, with the exception of roads identified on the
VicRoads’ Road Register. The Act requires Council to identify, on its Register of
Public Roads, all roads for which it is the coordinating road authority that Council
considers are reasonably required for general public use. A copy of the Register of
Public Roads is available on Council's website. The City of Boroondara is the
responsible road authority for all roads on the register, and also the specific road
infrastructure within the VicRoads road reserve for which the Council is identified as
The Act sets out the powers and duties of the road authority to install, manage and
maintain infrastructure for which it is the responsible authority. The Act also provides
a policy defence for road authorities where they can demonstrate responsible
management through an adopted Road Management Plan.
Factors that must be taken into account when driving on or using the road include
(but are not limited to) the:
physical characteristics of the road
prevailing weather conditions
level of visibility
condition of the motor vehicle
prevailing traffic conditions
relevant road laws and advisory signs
physical and mental condition of the driver.
The Code of Practice for Road Management Plans1 outlines the contents for a Road
Management plan. Those contents are included in this document as follows:
Location in
this Contents of a RMP as defined by
Heading Document Code of Practice
City of Boroondara’s Appendix A A description of the types of road
road infrastructure infrastructure for each of the classes of
public roads for which the road authority
is the responsible road authority.
Appendix B Details of the management system,
Management which is established or is to be
System established and implemented by the
road authority to discharge its duty to
inspect, maintain and repair.
Inspections Appendix C A description of the inspections
required for different types of road
infrastructure
Service Standards Appendix D The standard or target condition to be
achieved in the maintenance and repair
of different types of road infrastructure.
In setting these inspections, standards and systems the authority is required to take
account of: community expectations; utilisation of assets; risk; environmental and
cultural factors; and available resources. These factors are accounted for through
Council’s Asset Management Plans that take a long-term holistic view to managing
Council’s assets, and are considered in detail in the four-yearly review of this Road
Management Plan.
Road Management Plans are reviewed every four years in accordance with the
Road Management Act, following each Local Authority election. Details of this review
are available on Council’s website along with the current Road Management Plan.
1
1 Code of Practice for Road Management Plans: Victoria Government Gazette No. S 201 16 Sept
2004.
The current version of Council’s Road Management Plan is made available to the
public on Council’s Website, under Policies Plans and Strategies.
For all queries or feedback regarding this policy, please use the contact details for
the responsible department below.
5 References
5.1 Related Documents
Council adopted policies and strategies that support this Plan include (but are not
limited to):
Traffic Management Policy 2018
Traffic Management Procedures 2018
Boroondara Bicycle Strategy 2008
Public Lighting Policy 2005
Discontinuance of Roads and Reserves Policy
Parking Management Policy
Unmade Lanes Policy
Vehicular Crossings Policy 2013
Previous Versions of the Boroondara Road Management Plan and the date each
becomes effective are listed below:
Version Date adopted by
Council
1 2/7/2007
2 7/12/2009
3.0 13/5/2013
3.1 22/7/2013
4 21/7/2017
Coordinating Road Authority - the road authority that has the overall control and
management functions for the whole road reserve
Defect - a localised failure of an asset that may create a hazard for users, e.g. a
pothole
Lane - a narrow road typically less than 6 metres in width, usually providing rear or
side access to properties
Path - includes any footpath, shared path and bicycle path for which Council is the
responsible road authority. Gravel paths are included in this definition, but trails of
natural material without defined edges are not maintained by Council and are
excluded.
Pavement - the materials the comprise the roadway: generally a surface material
such as asphalt, spray seal, concrete, pavers or gravel, and underlying supporting
materials such as gravel or crushed rock.
Register of Public Roads - a list of roads within the municipality for which Council
accepts management responsibility. The Register includes for each road: the
location; the hierarchy classification as defined in Appendix A; and the date it
became a road.
Response time - the time taken to repair or remediate a defect following its
identification by Council officers or after the notification of the defect to Council by
members of the public
Responsible Road Authority - a road authority that has the management and
maintenance responsibility for all or part of the road or of the assets that are in the
road reserve
Roadside - any part of the road reservation that is not the road surface or footpath
Shared path - a path that is intended for use by both pedestrians and cyclists
Boroondara is the coordinating road authority and the responsible road authority for
approximately 567 kilometres of roads on its Road Register. VicRoads is the
coordinating road authority for the main road network and is responsible for 94
kilometres of roads within Boroondara.
All of Boroondara’s roads are in urban areas and usually include footpaths, road
related infrastructure and kerb and channel that discharge into a drainage network.
Road Hierarchy
Roads within the City of Boroondara are given a road hierarchy classification based
on factors including traffic volume, traffic type and accessibility, as shown in the table
below. These classifications are recognised and adopted throughout Boroondara for
classifying roads.
Roads in Boroondara and their classifications are shown in the map in Figure 2.
Path Hierarchy
Paths within the City of Boroondara are classified as High Activity and Low Activity.
Paths around shopping/business districts, schools and other high visitation
community facilities where displacements between path slabs could present a higher
risk may be designated as High Activity and the remainder as Low Activity.
Designated shared paths are maintained to the same standards as footpaths.
The City of Boroondara’s Council’s Register of Public Roads (Register) defines the
public roads and their classifications for all roads for which Council is the
coordinating road authority. The Register is maintained by Council as a controlled
document and is available for public inspection on Council’s website. Descriptions on
the Register are supported by map information on Council’s geographic information
system.
Maps for specific roads showing the extent of the area maintained, can be provided
on request from Council’s Camberwell office.
For each road, the main details the Register records are:
• Name of each public road
• Date on the which the road became a public road
• Identification of start and end points
• Locality
• Classification
• Details of changes to the status of the road as required by the Road
Management Act.
The assets covered by this plan are confined to those for which Council has statutory
responsibility under the Road Management Act 2004.
In keeping with these definitions, the following assets on roads identified in Council’s
Asset Register are covered by this plan:
• Road surface and supporting pavement
• Constructed pathways (pedestrian, shared and bike paths)
• Car parks within road reserves
• Traffic control devices (traffic signals, line marking, speed control devices)
• Bridges and large culverts as part of roads infrastructure
• Kerb and channel
• Roadside pits and connections to the urban stormwater system
• Signs (regulatory, warning and advisory).
Although Council also carries out inspection and maintenance of; roadsides, fire
hydrants, street trees, and information signs; the maintenance and inspection of
these assets is outside the scope of this plan. The operation and maintenance of
these assets are covered by separate operational procedures.
Council has responsibility for specific assets in the road reserves on VicRoads road
register, as set out in the Code of Practice for Operational responsibility for public
roads2. In general, Council is responsible for access roads and paths, while
VicRoads is responsible for the Carriageway, including the kerbs and street lighting.
Council is not responsible for utility assets (e.g. water and sewerage networks,
telecommunications, electricity and gas) within the road reserve. These assets are
the responsibility of their respective utility provider. Managers of these assets are
required under the Road Management Act: to maintain them to a satisfactory state of
repair; to avoid damaging the roadway or road infrastructure; and to ensure assets
such as pit lids and access hole covers are flush with the surrounding surface and do
not cause a hazard or adversely affect the smooth passage of traffic.
2
Code of Practice for Operational responsibility for public roads:
http://www.gazette.vic.gov.au/gazette/Gazettes2017/GG2017S174.pdf
Streetlights in road reserves provide a service to the community and are funded by
Council but are owned and maintained by the respective network provider. They are
therefore not covered by this plan. The levels of service relating to these assets are
considered through the Asset Management Plan and arrangements made directly
with the appropriate utility.
Roadside Vegetation
A road authority does not have a statutory duty or a common law duty to maintain,
inspect or repair land of any public highway that is not a constructed path or roadway
(RM Act s.107). Council relies on the goodwill of property owners to maintain the
nature-strip outside their property in an appropriate condition.
To ensure the safety of road and path users, Council will remove or trim vegetation
within the following spaces where it interferes with the safe passage of path or road
users, whether or not the vegetation is planted on private property.
- Encroaching 4.5 meters over road surfaces, and 2.5 meters over footpath surfaces
- Blocking line of sight to signage and at intersections.
Section 107 of the Roads Management Act 2004 provides that Council is under no
statutory duty to inspect, maintain or repair vehicle crossovers on road reserves that
provide access to land adjoining a road. This responsibility rests with the adjoining
landowner. The construction of a vehicle crossover requires a permit and must be
carried out to Council standards. Where modifications to Council assets (e.g. paths
and kerb and channel) are required, these shall be at the landowner’s expense. The
landowner is responsible for ensuring the vehicle crossover and the immediate
surrounds that the crossover impacts on, are maintained in a safe condition.
Council’s responsibility is limited to requiring the landowner to rectify any hazards of
which it becomes aware.
Council has ownership for any footpaths and kerbs and channels on Council’s public
roads. The landowner has ownership and responsibility for the remainder of the
vehicle crossover on Council property.
Nature Strip
Property owner’s
responsibility
Utility Assets
Any person who wishes to undertake works in a road reserve must obtain consent
from the relevant road authority, unless they are exempted under Roads
Management Regulations 2005. To carry out any works on Council roads, a permit
must be obtained from Council. Residents may obtain advice on road works by
contacting council customer service during normal working hours by phone (03 9278
4444) or in person at Council Offices (8 Inglesby Road, Camberwell).
The City of Boroondara has agreements in place with neighbouring Councils where
roads run along the boundary or where bridges cross a boundary. These
agreements assign maintenance responsibilities for the whole road or bridge to one
or other of the authorities and the responsible authority is recorded in Council’s asset
register. The agreement also identifies how capital works responsibilities are shared.
Council’s overall system for managing assets comprises an Asset Register to store
asset information and a Works Management System to manage and record the tasks
inherent in managing assets asset and is integrated with other key Council systems.
These systems are continually being developed and enhanced. The systems and
processes and the relationships between them that comprise the management
system for Public Roads is shown in Figure 3.
Identifying Hazards
Frequencies for routine inspections are developed for each asset group based on
risk and rates of deterioration, leading to different frequencies depending on the road
or path hierarchy. For example, if not dealt with promptly, conditions on collector
roads can rapidly change resulting in increased maintenance cost and safety
hazards, justifying more frequent inspections. Footpaths adjacent to business
districts, schools and facilities are designated as “High Activity” and are identified for
6 monthly inspections and faster maintenance response than other footpaths that
have less use.
Assessing Condition
The purpose of condition inspections is: to assess the remaining life of an asset; for
financial purposes (calculation of depreciation); and for planning and prioritising
prioritisation of the capital works program. Roads paths and bridges are inspected
and rated for condition at least every five years, however roads that have shown
signs of deterioration are inspected more frequently so that intervention takes place
at the most appropriate time. Roads and paths are audited by an external
contractors who usually utilise high-resolution digital imagery with off-site
assessment.
Prioritising Work
Requests for service and works orders are initially screened and ‘high’ risk situations
are dealt with immediately to manage the risk. If immediate repairs are not
practicable, steps are taken to reduce the risk and the appropriate intervention is
then scheduled. Activities are programmed to meet the response times identified in
Appendix D.
The City of Boroondara has the following processes in place to ensure that planned
processes and activities are actioned:
• The Contract Supervisor/Team Leader is responsible for monitoring works
activities and recording results on a daily basis.
• Customer Service statistics (response times etc.) are measured and reported
quarterly.
• Appropriate Team Leader/Manager carries out monthly spot checks to verify
operation of data collection process.
• KPIs for the percentage of tasks carried out to required timeframes risk
inspections and repairs are reported
The monitoring of work activities is carried out through the Work Management
System through on-line queries and standard and customised reports. Non-
compliance with standards will be reported to the Manager Asset and Capital
Planning.
Compliance Auditing
Council will complete an internal audit of the activities defined in this plan by 30
September each year. The review will include the following:
Recording of requests relating to activities in this plan in the Customer
Request System and transfer into the Asset Management System
That requests have been investigated and assessed against the RMP
intervention levels
That programmed inspections are carried out as scheduled
Relevant inspection reporting & recording mechanisms are in place
Record of identified defects and maintenance activities is made in the
database against the asset, including actual date of completion
Procedures for collecting and storing information regarding road asset
condition are in place and being followed
Review of supporting documentation (internal and external) for changes and
inconsistencies.
The internal review will be completed by Council’s Asset and Capital Planning
Department and reported to the Executive Leadership Team. Any non-compliance
found during the audit or incidentally since the previous audit and steps to rectify the
non-compliance will be included in the report.
Replacement Programs
The type and nature of replacement activity undertaken for road pavements depends
on:
• Condition of the asset
• Road classification
• Traffic volumes
• Proportion of commercial vehicles
• Subgrade conditions
• Whether reshaping is required
• Existing pavement type and kerb and channel type
• Economic factors.
In conjunction with inspection data and priority lists, the City of Boroondara utilises a
pavement management system to model the timing and type of renewal and
replacement activities that are undertaken to remove defects and manage the overall
condition of roads within the municipality.
The Boroondara Community Plan 2017-27 is Council’s key strategic document that
outlines the community’s vision and priorities, and incorporates the Municipal Public
Health and Wellbeing Plan 2017-21.
As Council’s key strategic document, it guides future planning, and directly informs
the Council Plan, budget processes, Council strategies and plans, policies and
operational actions. These strategies, plans, policies and actions provide guidance in
regards to the upgrading of the existing roads network and associated assets. These
adopted strategies include: Traffic Management Policy and Procedures; Parking
Management Policy and Procedures; Integrated Transport Strategy; and the Bicycle
Strategy. Other plans, policies and strategies may also result in improvements to the
road reserve, such as strip shopping centre improvement plans.
Some Secondary Access Lanes (approximately 16 km total length) and a few local
access roads (less than one kilometre total) have a gravel or natural surface. It is
not Council’s practice to construct and seal the roads unless Council determines it is
of broader community benefit. Residents may apply to have unconstructed
laneways constructed and sealed on the basis that such upgrades would be subject
to full cost recovery from owners of land fronting the road through a special charge
scheme established for that purpose.
Disposal Tactics
As part of the delivery of cost-effective services, Council may consider the disposal
of assets and, in doing so, will take into account risk, costs and benefits, and
adverse effects. Council will dispose of assets only after appropriate notification and
full consultation with affected parties.
Council will make every effort to meet its commitments under its RMP. However,
there may be situations or circumstances that affect Council's business activities to
the extent that it cannot deliver on the service levels of the RMP. These include but
are not limited to:
natural disasters, such as fires, floods or storms
pandemics
government intervention, or
a prolonged labour or resource shortage due to a need to commit or redeploy
Council staff and/or equipment elsewhere.
In the event that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Council has considered the
impact of such an event on the limited financial resources of Council and its other
conflicting priorities, and determined that the RMP cannot be met, then pursuant to
Section 83 of the Wrongs Act, the CEO will write to Council’s Officer in charge of its
Plan and inform them that some, or all, of the timeframes and responses in Council’s
RMP are to be suspended.
Once the scope of the event/s have been determined, and the resources committed
to the event response have been identified, then there will be an ongoing
consultation between Council’s CEO and Council’s Officer responsible for the RMP,
to determine which parts of Council’s Plan are to be reactivated and when.
Appendix C: Inspections
Reactive Inspections
The table below describes reactive inspections carried out on road assets within the
City of Boroondara in response to a request for service, whether generated
externally through a customer request or internally form incidental observations by
Council Staff.
The following table describes how routine inspections are carried out.
The table below sets out the routine condition inspection regime used to estimate
remaining life for establishing capital works programs and calculating depreciation.
The following tables identify the inspections and frequencies for each asset type.
Risk Inspection
Asset Category Hierarchy Frequency
Roads and car parks Link (Secondary) 6 months
(including road related infrastructure: Collector 6 months
Kerbs, signs, traffic control devices Local Access 12 months
line-marking and roadside pits.)
Lanes Primary Access 12 months
Secondary Access 12 months
Paths and Walkways in road reserves High Activity 6 months
Low Activity 12 months
Bridges - Level 1 inspection All 6 months
Through the Council’s Asset Management Plan, the expectations of the key
stakeholders are identified in terms of accessibility, safety, responsiveness, quality,
cost effectiveness and environmental considerations. Customer expectations have
initially been inferred by Council staff involved in service delivery for road activities
and are modified as information from ongoing research (customer requests and
feedback analysis, focus groups and surveys) becomes available. Where
appropriate, these expectations are translated into standards which are modified
through the Council’s asset management planning process to:
• Achieve Council’s goals and objectives
• Meet minimum legislative requirements
• Reduce overall costs through timely response.
Inspection standards (nature and frequency) identified in this appendix are
determined to meet the above requirements and are confirmed through a risk
assessment in accordance with Council’s risk management framework.
The technical standards are assessed prior to each review of this plan and the
standards modified to minimise risk and take account of any legislative changes.
Key Stakeholders
The key stakeholder groups of the community who are both users of the road
network and/or are affected by it include:
Pedestrians, including the very young, those with disabilities, and the elderly
with restricted mobility;
Users of a range of miscellaneous smaller, lightweight vehicles such as
cyclists, motorised buggies, wheel chairs, prams, etc;
Vehicle users using motorised vehicles such as trucks, buses, commercial
vehicles, cars and motor cycles;
Emergency agencies (Police, Fire, Ambulance, VICSES);
Business and commercial operators;
Traffic & Transportation managers;
Construction & maintenance personnel who build and maintain asset
components;
Construction & maintenance personnel who build and maintain asset
components;
Utility agencies that utilise the road reserve for their infrastructure (water,
sewerage, gas, electricity, telecommunications);
Council as the responsible Road Authority;
State & Federal Government departments that periodically provide support
funding to assist with management of the road network.
Road Safety
A total of 279 reported crashes resulting in injury on Council’s Council roads were
reported in the 5 years to December 2018 with a decrease of around 5% each year
during that period. Road safety is an important focus for Council’s Traffic and
Transport Department.
Specific sites identified with a recurring accident trend are assessed for suitability for
remedial treatment under a range of Federal, State and Local Government safety
programs. Traffic management devices to improve road safety throughout the
municipality are considered using reported crash data to prioritise treatments for
locations with higher risk.
Construction Standards
The standards for the construction of road infrastructure are set out in the VicRoads
standard specifications for roadworks and bridgeworks .While new infrastructure is
designed and constructed in accordance with these standards, there is no obligation
on Council to upgrade any existing infrastructure which may not be built according to
this standard.
ROAD-RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE
Response times
Key Task Intervention levels Performance standard
Pedestrian Timber posts to be replaced All crossings and related 7 days
and school when damaged or greater furniture to be in good
crossing than 50% wood rot is evident conditions and highly
maintenance visible at all times
Road 50% sign legend illegible at Clean or replace 7 days
regulatory 150 m under low beam or in damaged signs
and advisory daylight
signage
maintenance
Guard rail Guard rails in damaged Guard rails restored to 28 days
maintenance condition (other than provide safety to road
immediate safety hazards) users and protection of
pedestrians and assets.
Sealed When line marking is faded, Works programmed for Program
Roads line eroded, worn or non- repainting in the next
marking reflective. financial year
Drainage Broken or missing Pit lid or Replace Pit Lid 14 days
maintenance lintel that renders the item
structurally unsound or
presents a safety issue to
road users.
Ponding greater than 200mm Remove debris and/or 14 days
deep and 3 metres across in blockage
any direction) caused by
blocked pits or drains or
culverts
Bridge Visible damage on Temporary repair and/or 28 days
maintenance components likely to affect permanent repair/
users or public safety replacement of the
unsafe/ damaged
components.
If repair is not applicable,
hazard is mitigated and
repair is programmed for
the next financial year.
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