Roads & Bridges

Roads & Streets

King Island Council and The State Government share the responsibility for the network of roads providing access to individual properties and facilitating the general circulation of our community on King Island.

Council manages a total of 442 kilometres of road pavement. Of this 12 km is sealed urban roads, 7 km is unsealed urban roads, 74 km are sealed rural roads and 349 km unsealed rural roads. This does not include coastal access tracks around the Island.

Due to isolation factors, King Island Council completes all works on the island for the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources.

Please click here to report road issues which do not present an immediate danger (such as faded line marking, small potholes or fallen signage). For all urgent on road hazards, contact Council, even after hours.

Street Numbers

It is the resident’s responsibility to display their house number on the letterbox or some other prominent location within the front boundary so that the number is clearly visible from the roadway for the purposes of emergency services, postal deliveries, etc.

Rural Address Numbers

It is the responsibility of residents in country areas to display allotted rural address numbers. Your number can be checked at Council’s Offices. New numbers for new dwellings are issued by Council when building approval is granted.

Bridges

Council maintains a number of bridges and culverts that form part of King Island’s road network. Council’s objective is to maintain these bridges to a standard that is acceptable and safe for the travelling public.

To notify Council of repairs required to a bridge, report an issue here.

Easements

Easements on private properties are generally set aside for stormwater drainage or water mains. No buildings or permanent fixtures are to be placed on such easements without the prior written approval of Council, because access to the easement may be required to repair or replace the pipe or its conveniences.

Property owners should also carefully select appropriate species of trees when planting near easements. If trees damage pipelines and have to be removed, it will be at the property owner’s cost.

Trees

Trees can add a great deal of splendour to a garden. However, they can also cause a nuisance to a next-door neighbour when they start encroaching onto the other side of the fence, with problems ranging from blocking out light, shedding leaves over one’s garden and gutters or tree roots invading drains and footpaths. Therefore, it’s important to know what your rights are and what you can and cannot do.

The responsibility of tree belongs to the person upon whose land it has originally grown. Even if its branches or roots have begun to grow over or into a neighbour’s territory, it belongs to the landowner where the tree was originally planted.

Trees from Private Property Overhanging Footpath

Many people use our footpaths – postmen, joggers, people with disabilities and the elderly. Tree owners should ensure that a clear height above the footpath of 2.5 metres should be allowed, so that people may walk underneath with safety.

As a guide, all foliage and vegetation should be cut back to your boundary fences and should not obstruct street signs or traffic.

If you are concerned about a tree, please contact the Council Depot to arrange an inspection of the tree in question if necessary.

Fallen tree branches

Trees are affected by the natural environment and they will, randomly and inexplicably, shed branches, particularly as a consequence of the Island’s sometimes wild and windy weather. If fallen tree branches on public land pose a significant hazard i.e. blocking roads and footpaths or cause damage to private property please call Council, even after hours.

Trees on Nature Strips

Council maintains trees on nature strips and will schedule maintenance works where limbs are a danger to pedestrian and vehicle movements. Please contact the Depot should you wish to report a dangerous tree on the nature strip and they will arrange an inspection and lopping if required.

Nature Strips

Nature strips add value, amenity and ambience to towns. The maintenance of nature strips has long been regarded the ‘civic duty’ of the residents of King Island which assumes residents occupying adjacent property will maintain nature strips. This relieves the pressure for rate increases by allowing the limited available funds to be directed to other areas of road maintenance.

For this reason, Council encourages all residents to maintain their nature strips as part of their front lawn, keeping it tidy for the benefit of all residents.

Footpaths and nature strips outside your property are part of the road reserve and before any works other than mowing start on the road reserve you, or the contractor, must obtain permission from Council. This relates to such activities as stormwater outlets, driveway modifications, storage of materials and excavation of embankments.

Footpaths

Council is responsible for identifying hazards, such as uneven footpaths, damaged signs, potholes and trees overhanging the footpath.

These hazards are attended to as soon as possible to ensure safe pedestrian access. Your assistance in alerting us to any issues would be appreciated by reporting an issue here.

Council has an obligation to ensure that high standards of work in the road reservation are maintained and that safety hazards are not created by works, or by the storage of materials on the road reserve.

Street Cleaning & Litter Collection

Council’s street sweeping and litter collection staff routinely operate around the town streets and recreation areas.

King Island prides itself on being a clean Island and encourages visitors and residents to dispose of rubbish in an appropriate manner.

If you notice litter problems or have concerns, please contact Council to tell us about the problem or report the issue here.