Wellington Shire Council's vision is for happy people, healthy environment and thriving communities.
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1300 366 244Wellington Shire Council is responsible for maintaining a network of sealed and unsealed public roads across the municipality that totals approx. 3,100km.
While Council is responsible for the vast majority of streets and roads, it is not the sole road authority within the Shire.
Highways and declared arterial roads are managed by VicRoads, while roads and tracks located in State Parks are predominantly managed by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
To discover which organisation is responsible for a particular road, please use the Property Enquiry Map and turn on the 'Infrastructure - Road Hierarchy' layer.
If you have a complaint, suggestion or wish to request maintenance or works for a Council managed road - please complete and submit a Customer Action Request Form online.
The Register of Public Roads includes a complete list of roads for which Wellington Shire Council is responsible.
Our Road Management Plan sets out a management system and relevant standards for local roads within our shire. It provides information on how we will take care of roads to affordable levels while meeting community needs. The Plan is based on our policy and operational objectives, taking into account the resources available to us. It has also been prepared in accordance with the Road Management Act 2004.
The Plan itself applies to the local roads within the shire that we are responsible for. These roads are listed in our Register of Public Roads.
Rural road numbering is a permanent and clear way of identifying and locating properties along a street or road. (By law, we must use the rural address numbering system.)
A rural address consists of a rural road number, street or road name and the property's locality or district. Residents are allocated a number determined by the distance of the property entrance in metres from the start of the road, divided by ten. For example, if your property is 870 metres from the beginning of the road, your property number is 87. It is not possible to change your number.
We use rural road numbers to supply emergency services and 000 operators any updates to our address data in the shire.
Making your property easy to locate is particularly important in emergency situations when time is critical. Police, fire and ambulance services can be delayed if a property address is difficult to find. It is important to use your rural road number when providing your address, and that the number is clearly displayed on the main access point to your residence.
Lot numbers, RMB and older shire numbers should no longer be used in addresses and these numbers should be removed if displayed at the front of the property. Residents should ensure their neighbours display their rural road number to prevent confusion.
The Local Government Act 1989 provides council the power to approve, assign or change the name of a road. In exercising this power Council must act in accordance with the guidelines provided under the Geographical Place Names Act 1998.
Council has established the Place Names Committee to act as an advisory body on geographical place names issues.
For further information please see the Council Approved Road Names Register.
The Wellington Shire Council Residential Road and Street Construction Plan provides a response to long standing issues associated with substandard residential roads and streets throughout the municipality.
The current plan is available for download from the Council Strategies and Plans section of the Publications page or by clicking on the button below.
Council is responsible for the management of large amounts of land that forms our roadsides and road reserves. Our responsibilities include:
Each year we undertake an extensive roadside slashing program across Wellington Shire to assist in maintaining a safe and efficient road network. Our slashing program is planned as the spring and summer season progresses, to ensure that works are carried out at the best possible time for them to be effective.
With a road network in excess of 3,100km, roadside slashing needs to be planned and prioritised. Our Road Management Plan and operational procedures guide how these works are undertaken. Council's resources for roadside slashing are generally directed towards higher traffic sealed roads and intersections, whereas gravel road verges are generally maintained with grading.
We conduct an annual roadside treatment program to reduce fuel loads on designated roads which may assist in mitigating the risks associated with fire. Our program is determined by criteria set out by the Country Fire Authority (CFA) roadside management guidelines.
The Wellington Shire Council Municipal Fire Management Planning Committee (MFMPC) has developed and maintains a list of designated strategic, secondary and minor roads that require vegetation treatments to fulfil Council's responsibility under the CFA Act.
This list includes a total of approximately 200km of roads within Wellington Shire and has been maintained for the past ten years. It is currently under review.
Our work includes substantial fuel reduction, usually by slashing, within the road reserve in the case of the identified strategic roads.
Visit our Fire page for more information on Fire Planning and Prevention in Wellington Shire.
Our program prioritises Regionally Prohibited Weeds which are weeds that we are legally required to eradicate. After this, Regionally Controlled Weeds and pest animals are prioritised where:
The program is funded by Wellington Shire Council and the Victorian Government. We use the above priorities and consider seasonal conditions when planning our annual program. If you would like to have your roadside considered for weed control please contact Council.
If you wish to construct a new vehicle crossing, replace an existing crossing, construct an additional crossing or widen an existing crossing please complete a Works Permit Application Form.