What you need to know for activities on or near a council road

A Traffic Management Plan (TMP) is required for any activity that alters the normal operating conditions of a road, including:

• Work on the carriageway, footpath, or road shoulder.
• Activities outside the road reserve that impact traffic flow or road user safety.

Key requirements

Qualified design

• TMPs must be designed by a suitably qualified person.
• From 1 May 2021, TMP designers must:
  • Hold a Temporary Traffic Management Planner (TTMP) warrant, or
  • Have the appropriate current NZQA qualification.

Standards

• TMPs must meet the minimum standards outlined in the NZ Guide to Temporary Traffic Management.Hurunui District Council currently accepts :
• The NZ Guide.

Submission process

• All TMPs must be submitted via Submitica for review and approval.

Submit your TMP through Submitica.

Sometimes work is delayed for various reasons, and the approved dates on your Traffic Management Plan (TMP) need to be extended.

To request an extension:

• Complete the TMP Extension Request Form
• Submit the form for Council approval before your current TMP expires.

Work cannot continue past the original approval dates without an approved extension.

Submitting complete and thorough applications with an appropriate lead-time is an important part of making sure an activity goes ahead as planned. While we reference minimum lead-times, we strongly encourage that people involved in this process plan for larger lead-times which should account for any unexpected delays in approval e.g. coordination with other contractor approvals.

The timeframes below are minimum lead/processing times.

** This allows for 5 working days to process the TMP and 5 working days to establish the static warning signs.

*** Statutory requirement for public advertising. This also allows time for public feedback and consideration by Council at the next available meeting.

To carry out an activity on/under or over the road reserve, you may need to apply for a licence. This ensures the safety of all road users and protects public infrastructure.

Permanent Fences:

• Licence to occupy would be required to erect a permanent fence on the road reserve and to occupy that area of land.
• Temporary Fences: It is possible that no licence is required for a temporary fence for grazing the 'long acre' under the conditions as set out in Section 8. of the Public Places Bylaw 2014.

• Public Places Bylaw 2014 refer section 8
• search for other acts this falls under.

When grazing stock for safety of the traveling public and safety for your stock, there are key guidelines that need to be followed.

General Permissions

Public Safety:

• Stock wandering onto roads pose a safety risk to both drivers and animals. Ensuring adequate fencing is crucial.
• Grazing is typically allowed only along your own property frontage.
• If grazing along someone else’s frontage, written permission from the landowner must be provided to the council.

Fencing and Containment - Section 8 Public Places Bylaw

• Stock must be safely fenced or tethered to prevent them from wandering onto the road.
• Fencing should be secure and well-maintained, especially near high-speed roads.
• Temporary fences must be used, set back from the road edge, and constructed with materials that minimize harm to road users.
• Temporary fences should be strategically placed and maintained to prevent animals from accessing the road.

Distance from Road Verge

• Stock should be kept well clear of the carriageway (the part of the road used by vehicles).
• Grazing should occur on the berm or road reserve, not on the shoulder or carriageway.

Hours of Darkness

• Grazing is not permitted during hours of darkness, defined as: Half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise.
• This is to ensure visibility and safety for both stock and road users.

Damage to Infrastructure:

• Stockowners are generally liable for damage to road surfaces, drainage systems, and other infrastructure caused by their animals.

Liability:

• Owners are responsible for ensuring their animals are contained and for any damage they cause, including accidents.

Soil Erosion:

• Overgrazing or grazing on unsuitable surfaces can lead to soil erosion and loss of vegetation cover.

Monitoring:

• Regularly inspect the grazed area and address any issues like erosion or damage to infrastructure.

For activities in/under or over the road reserve you will require a licence to Occupy

• Trench backfill in carriageways that are not arterial/strategic or business/industrial roads

Backfilling to subgrade level in roads, right of ways, vehicle crossings, carparks and private driveways shall be with hardfill, placed and compacted in 200mm maximum layers. AP65 will be acceptable as hardfill backfill. Use of river or pit run for subgrade improvements is subject to specific Council approval, and will only be approved if its larger particles are not excessively sized and it contains sufficient broken faces and fines.

Compaction

Compaction testing shall be under taken using a Clegg Hammer at maximum 10m spacings on each 200mm layer. The backfill layers shall have a minimum impact value of 25. this test will be undertaken by appointed council staff and an inspection fee may apply.

As Built Plans

An electronic set of plans to be provided of each set of assets installed comprising drawings at a recognised scale. The plans shall be certified by the Consultant or Contractor overseeing the work stating that they are a true and accurate record of all services. Furthermore, where plans have been prepared using CAD techniques a copy of the electronic file shall be provided in either AutoCAD LT format (.dwg or .dxf).

Traffic Management Plan

As a requirement of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, the Local Government Act 1974 and 2002, and the Land Transport Management Act 2003, the applicant and or their contractors will need an approved Traffic Management Plan (TMP) detailing traffic control works prior to any of the works commencing on, or in, the road reserve. This must be prepared in accordance with the NZ Guide.

General Principles

• Trees and hedges can enhance property aesthetics, provide shelter, and improve privacy.
• However, poorly planned or maintained vegetation on road reserves can create hazards for road users, including:
  • Obstructed visibility
  • Damage to vehicles or infrastructure
  • Risk of injury or fatalityLegal Requirements
• A Licence to Occupy is mandatoryfor any planting on road reserves.
  • This licence ensures that the planting is approved and managed according to council standards.
  • Unauthorised plantings must be removed at the expense of the person who planted them. The ground must also be restored to its original condition

• Regulatory Signs to advise drivers of restrictions such as speed limit signs, stop signs, and parking restriction signs
• Permanent Warning Signs (yellow) to indicate the presence of road hazards such as curve warning signs, speed hump signs, and “slippery when wet” signs
• Temporary Warning Signs (orange) to indicate hazards of a temporary nature such as road works signs, loose metal signs, and lane closure signs Street name signs (blue) are provided to indicate the names of streets. Their best use is in providing assistance to road users who are unfamiliar with the area and are trying to confirm road names when following a map or route instructions. The numbers on the signs are RAPID numbers to indicate the addresses of private properties.
• Guide Signs (green) provide directional information as well as information such as distance.
• Amenity signs (Tourist brown; motorist services blue) supplement street name signs to assist in locating a particular facility. The use of amenity signs is carefully managed to provide additional assistance to road users where warranted, while avoiding the proliferation of large numbers of signs.

Storage on Road Reserve

Storing materials such as stock feed, logs, machinery or other items on the road reserve creates serious safety hazards.

• It restricts visibility for road users.
• It obstructs pedestrians, forcing them to walk on the road.
• Cyclists and horse riders are unable to move safely to the side.
• Passing vehicles are forced into oncoming traffic to navigate around the obstruction.

In addition, tractors or machinery moving feed or logs in winter can:

• Cause significant damage to road drainage systems.
• Leave clods of earth and debris on the road, creating further hazards for traffic.

Council does not permit storage on the road reserve.

Structures On Road Reserve

If you wish to:

• Erect a structure or
• Develop a parking area on the road reserve in front of your property,

you must first apply for a Licence to Occupy.

• New Zealand Guide to temporary traffic management
• National Code of Practice for Utility Operators’ Access to Transport Corridors
• Worksafe Road Cone Digital Hotline