Laneways

The City of Port Phillip has over 1,500 lanes which are classed as municipal roads. Here is everything you need to know relating to these often over-looked community assets, including checking if it is a Council ‘road’ and applying to discontinue a ‘road’.

What is a municipal road

The Local Government Act 1989 defines a road as including:

a street
a right of way
any land reserved or proclaimed as a street or road under the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978 or the Land Act 1958
a public road under the Road Management Act 2004
a passage
a cul de sac
a by-pass
a bridge or ford
a footpath, bicycle path or nature strip
any culvert or kerbing or other land or works forming part of the road.

When is a lane a public road

Lanes in the City of Port Phillip become roads through one or all of the following methods:

declared a road at any time in the past by Government Gazette or under s204 of the Local Government act 1989
dedicated as a road on title
by the common law doctrine of long user whereby the lane is open to the public and they can use it 'without force'.

The older suburbs of Port Melbourne and St Kilda have many lanes that were established before government gazettes and Council declarations were required. They are 'roads' under the Common Law. Most have been redeclared by the Council with the implementation of the Road Management Act 2004.

Council keeps a Register of Public Roads as required by s17 of the Road Management Act 2004.

Who owns the lanes that are roads

Under the Road Management Act 2004 and the Local Government Act 1989 all roads that are deemed municipal roads 'vest' in Council in fee simple on discontinuance of the 'road'. In other words, Council owns them on behalf of the community. This means that, although the title might be in the name of someone else, where that title overlaps with the road the title is effectively extinguished and it is no longer private land.

We keep a register of all the roads in the municipality so you can check if a lane is a Council asset.

Once a road has become a road it cannot be adversely possessed. It can only be discontinued as a road through the processes outlined in the Local Government Act 1989 or the Road Management Act 2004.

What can I do with the lane near me

You can:

view the Activating Laneways Strategy (PDF 6MB) to see what options are available and the processes involved
apply to discontinue all or part of the laneway and purchase it. Please see the Discontinuance and Sale of Roads Policy which you'll find in the Public Road Register section

We are currently preparing guidelines for future licensed gardens in street verges and lanes and they will be published here when they are available.

Checking if a lane is a municipal road

Council has a Road Register you can check.

Step 1. Go to the Near Me and type in your address.

Step 2. Zoom in and you will see the lane you are looking for on the map with a ROW number, for example, R1234.

Step 3. Go to the Register of Lanes with Discontinuances (PDF 1.16MB) which you'll find in the Public Road Register section and search for the corresponding ROW number. If you can't find the number there, scroll to the end to check if it has been discontinued.

Step 4. Even if you can find the lane listed, it is worth checking that it has not had a part discontinued previously.

If you have any questions, please contact us via our Online Services.

Apply to discontinue a road or part of a road

To apply to discontinue a road or part of a road, please follow these steps:

Step 1. Identify the road on our Road Register (PDF 576 KB).

Step 2. Read the Discontinuance and Sale of Roads Policy which you'll find in the Public Road Register section.

Step 3. Compile and submit an application.

Your application to discontinue a road must be a written request emailed to the City of Port Phillip Property team with the following details:

a copy of a plan clearly showing the extents of the road proposed to be discontinued
photos of the subject land and abutting buildings, fencing and any other details
full, legible and current copies of titles and deeds from Land Use Victoria or the Registrar General's Office. These titles and deeds are required for all lands abutting the road and of the road itself, including any other land which may have a benefit to the road.
evidence of support from affected property owners. This includes a letter of acceptance, petition, signed survey, statutory declaration and any other relevant documentation.

Step 4. Submit your application via our Online Services.

Once the relevant documentation has been received, Council officers will assess the information provided. If appropriate, they will carry out further investigations to determine if the road discontinuance and sale is suitable. If your request is assessed as appropriate, it will be sent to our lawyers for processing.

Next, the application will be considered at a Council meeting. If Council decides the road is no longer needed for general public use, they will make a Council resolution to discontinue it.

Cost and fees

In line with Councils Discontinuance and Sale of Roads Policy and the Local Government Act, the land will be sold at Market Value, as determined by Council's Valuers.

This process will also involve an application, administration costs and conveyancing costs fees. This includes the consolidation of the road area Discontinued into your title.

Contact us

Online: Visit our Online Services
Phone: 03 9209 6777