Approval date: 22 September 2025

Background

The purpose of the Subdivision of Residential or Rural Residential Properties Policy is to ensure that the amenity of residential developments is enhanced by ensuring the provision of appropriate infrastructure and that roads, pavements, footpaths, drainage and other essential infrastructure are constructed to an appropriate standard.

Objectives

This policy is provided to clearly document Council’s expectations for property owners, developers and contractors in the development of land for residential purposes. It aims to provide a consistent standard for the design and construction of infrastructure to service newly created residential properties. Further it will allow non-conforming works to be identified and measures taken to avoid compromising the safety, amenity, equity and efficiency of public infrastructure.

Scope

All approvals for urban and rural residential subdivisions shall contain conditions requiring the provision of infrastructure in accordance with the requirements of Clause 56 of the Latrobe Planning Scheme, the Infrastructure Design Manual (IDM), Council’s Supplementary Requirements to the IDM, Council’s Urban Design Guidelines and the following requirements:

3.1 Roads
    
That all new roads created by a residential subdivision be constructed to include a sealed surface. All approvals for residential and rural residential subdivisions shall contain conditions requiring the main connecting road to be upgraded to an appropriate standard, if not already at that standard. Regard should be had to the planning scheme provisions. However, unless exceptional circumstances apply, a sealed road shall be required in the following circumstances:

• For all residential subdivisions of land zoned Mixed-Use Zone, Township Zone, Residential Growth Zone, General Residential Zone or Neighbourhood Residential Zone.
• Where a subdivision of land zoned Rural Living or Low Density Residential involves an internal road or increases the number of lots served by the connecting road by more than three lots.

Exceptional circumstances could include:

The subdivision of the “last lot” in an otherwise fully subdivided precinct where no previous subdivision has been required to provide a sealed road. The road layout within all residential subdivisions must provide for waste collection vehicles to carry out their functions while travelling in a forward-only direction. In accordance with recommendations made by the Coroner, waste collection vehicles must not be required to reverse or undertake threepoint turns in a residential area.

3.2 Footpaths

Footpaths shall be provided along both sides of all urban residential streets, including around the full extent of courts. Footpaths shall be provided to the frontage of all urban residential lots. Connective path links to existing paths must be provided as part of the subdivision works.Cycling and walking facilities shall be provided in accordance with current town structure plans, cycling and walking strategies, the IDM, Council’s Supplementary Requirements to the IDM, and Council’s Healthy Urban Design Good Practice Guidelines.

3.3 Property Drainage

A stormwater property connection must be provided for each new residential lot.

3.4 Open Space

A condition of all residential subdivisions shall include the construction of fencing along all lot boundaries abutting open space areas. All concrete and asphalt surfaced paths located in public open space areas within new residential subdivisions, shall be provided with public lighting in accordance with Australian Standard public lighting requirements.

3.5 Vehicle Crossings

Subdivisions in non-urban areas shall include the provision of an appropriately located vehicle crossing for each lot.For traffic safety, where an abutting road has a sealed surface, all non-urban vehicle crossings shall be constructed with an all-weather sealed surface (asphalt or concrete), from the edge of the sealed road pavement for the first six metres of the vehicle crossing or to the property boundary, whichever is the lesser distance. In urban areas, vehicle crossings shall only be constructed in residential developments at the time of subdivision, where the vehicle crossing location is relatively fixed due to narrow frontages or due to service or street furniture locations. To provide options for lot owners, vehicle crossings are not required to be constructed until lot development occurs and the lot owners final preferred location is known.

View the full policy below;