A ‘vehicle crossing’ is the strip of your driveway that crosses the footpath and nature strip allowing vehicles to enter and exit your property. If re-constructing the driveway, or doing anything that involves altering this area, a Vehicle Crossing Permit may be required.
Maintaining and/or modifying the vehicle crossing is at the property owner’s expense.
Residential properties are permitted one vehicle crossing only, up to a maximum width of 3.5 metres.
If the vehicle crossing is part of an issued building permit, the crossing has not been automatically approved. You will still have to make a separate Vehicle Crossing Permit Application. The same requirement applies if the vehicle crossing is part of an issued Town Planning Permit.
In some cases, such as during building works where your builder needs to access the property from the road where no vehicle crossing is located, you may need to obtain what is called a Temporary Vehicle Crossing Permit. This is treated the same as a Vehicle Crossing Permit but will have conditions placed on it that affect the standard of construction and the reinstatement of the area once the permit expires.
If you are seeking to have approval prior to the start of building your home (for example, to sign a contract), you will need to proceed with making an application to ensure that a vehicle crossing can be built there. Council will advise you in writing if your application has been approved or not. Approvals are for 12 months, in which time you must obtain the Vehicle Crossing Permit.
Vehicle Crossing Specifications
All crossings constructed in the City of Monash have to meet standards of the Vehicle Crossing Specification which can be found in:
Specifications for construction of Vehicle Crossings(PDF, 693KB)
There can only be 1 vehicle crossing per property.
Redundant vehicle crossings must be removed when a new vehicle crossing is constructed.
To have a better chance of getting your permit approved, make sure your application takes into account:
Distance
- The crossing is a minimum of 9m from a street corner
- If the vehicle crossing is located within 2.4m of an adjoining vehicle crossing, the area between must be constructed to form a double vehicle crossing
- The crossing is to be no less than 1m from any existing street ‘furniture’, such as electricity pits or poles, Council stormwater pits, sewer pits, Telstra/NBN pits, hydrants, bus stops, signage or similar
- All excavation works for the vehicle crossing should be planned to be at least 4m from the base of a street tree. You may be able to construct closer if an individual street tree allows. Some street trees may require a greater distance, so all plans should show how far away from them you plan to build, unless written Council approval is obtained from Council’s Asset Protection Department.
Standard Dimensions
The standard width of a residential vehicle crossing is 3 metres, and the maximum permitted width is 3.5 metres.
Specific Permissions
In some circumstances, what you want to do may impact on other public assets owned by Service Authorities.
You will require written approval (from the relevant Service Authority), if:
- The crossing is less than 1m away from electricity pits or poles, Council stormwater pits, sewer pits, Telstra/NBN pits, hydrants, bus stops, signage or similar
- Excavation works for the crossing’s construction are less than 4m away from the base of an existing street tree
- The vehicle crossing is located within 2.4m of an adjoining vehicle crossing and you do not wish for the vehicle crossings to be constructed as a double vehicle crossing
You also require approval from the Town Planning Department, if:
- The vehicle crossing/s is/are on an arterial road (this does not include service lanes)
- All industrial/commercial crossings, and/or
- The vehicle crossing is on a Town Planning Development (for example, units or apartments). This also is on old Town Planning developments.
Fees and Security Deposit
When applying for this permit you will need to pay an application fee. Council will process your application to determine if you can construct the vehicle crossing how and where you have proposed.
If successful, and if all required documents have been submitted, a tax invoice will be issued via email. Council may request further documentation before proceeding with invoicing. Permit costs and a refundable security deposit vary, depending on the works to be undertaken. More information: Engineering Permit Fees 2025-26(PDF, 168KB)
Application fee: $294.50 (non-refundable) Please note the application fee is paid at the time of applying through the online application portal.
Vehicle Crossing Permit fees:
- Local roads: $156 to $395 (non-refundable)
- Arterial roads: $268 to $724 (non-refundable)
Supporting documentation
In submitting your application we require as a minimum:
- Site Plan showing the location of the proposed vehicle crossing, with all measurements and features including; property, existing and proposed driveways, trees, street furniture - for example, electricity or poles, Council stormwater pits, sewer pits, Telstra/NBN pits or posts, hydrants, bus stops, signage or similar
- Site photos prior to works commencing (minimum 5 photos). Please provide photos of the exact location of where the works will be undertaken and showing conditions of Council asset.
It is recommended you also supply the following documents if you have them, as you will need these if your application is successful:
- Traffic Management Plan as per the Road Management Act 2004 and the Road Safety (Traffic Management) Regulations 2019. Council requests you obtain your plans through an experienced provider to ensure high-quality plans are produced as poor-quality plans in the past have not met these basic requirements (hand-drawn plans are not accepted). The Traffic Management Plan should cover temporary changes to traffic conditions, road and footpath closures, and traffic detours. Council will assess the impacts on movement and safety for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles (check VicRoads website).
- Copy of the Works Manager's Public Liability Insurance (Certificate of Currency).
Council may also require:
- A copy of a Neighbour Notification Letter advising affected residents of the works.
- Supporting documentation from any service authority if the works affect or are near their assets and Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) approval if located on an arterial road.
Please note, the construction of vehicle crossings on arterial roads will require a permit and Memorandum of Authorisation (MOA) supplied by the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) and a Traffic Management Plan from a prequalified contractor and consultant.
The Vehicle Crossing Permit application advice may take up to 10 working days, depending on the complexity of the works involved.
If more information is required to complete your application, you will get a letter with advice via email. If Council does not receive the required document(s) within 1 month from the dated letter, your application will be cancelled, and you will need to apply again on a later date. Please note, the application fee is non-refundable.