If you’re planning an activity or project within the road corridor which:
- Creates alterations to the surface, underground or any part of the road corridor
- Changes the usual way that pedestrians, motorists and cyclists would ordinarily use that section of the road corridor,
then you’ll need to submit a Corridor Access Request (CAR).
This includes filming, storing materials, placing skips, excavating, resurfacing, installing signs, drone use, tree felling, events, erecting scaffolding, extending a driveway and more. If you’re not sure if your activity needs a CAR, send an email to Corridor Access Team and we’ll let you know.
On this page you'll find information for:
Glossary of terms
| Berm |
The grass verge between the footpath and road (front berm) and between the property boundary and footpath (back berm). See figure below. |
| Carriageway |
The part of a road, including shoulders, where a normal wheeled vehicle can travel. |
|
Corridor Access Request (CAR) |
An application to undertake works in the road corridor. |
|
Road corridor (road reserve) |
The area of land between the legal boundaries, usually fence line to fence line, which is dedicated to allowing the passage of road users. This includes the footpath, berm and carriageways. It also includes an airspace of 6m directly above the road surface. See figure below. |
|
Traffic Management Plan (TMP) |
A document describing the design, implementation, maintenance, and removal of temporary traffic management, while the road works activity is being carried out in the road reserve, or adjacent to, and affecting the road reserve. |
|
Temporary Traffic Management (TTM) |
The process of managing road users through or past a road closure, or works in the road corridor, with minimal delay and inconvenience. |
|
Vehicle crossing |
The vehicle access point from a driveway to the road, over the footpath and/or berm. |
|
Work Access Permit (WAP) |
A written permission from the corridor manager at Porirua City Council to enable works on a road corridor to proceed. |
CAR applications
There are a few steps required to submitting a CAR and getting it approved. Porirua City Council uses the Code of Temporary Traffic Management (COPTTM) as a guide for approving your CAR application.
Before U Dig
If you are planning to carry out excavations in the road corridor, you can check for underground services by going to Before U Dig. If you haven’t used the site before, you’ll need to sign up as a new user.
Submitica
CARs can be made through Submitica, an online application website. It can be found at submitica.com. On the Submitica website, you need to create an account and login to submit a CAR. Creating an application is free of charge, however there are fees for Council processing of CARs.
Traffic Management Plan
A traffic management plan (TMP) describes the temporary traffic management (TTM) measures at a worksite for road users (including pedestrians and cyclists), and how they will be managed. TMPs are required for all activities which vary the normal operating conditions of a road. You must use the latest version of the Waka Kotahi TMP form. The plan must show:
- Dates and hours of TTM
- How pedestrians and motorists will be able to get past the worksite safely
- Layout distances between key TTM equipment (refer to section C2.5 of COPTTM)
A TMP must be designed and prepared by a trained and qualified Temporary Traffic Management Planner. You can find a company to do this for you in the Yellow Pages or online, or engage with the following companies who carry out this work in Porirua City:
| Company | TTM Planner |
TTM installation services |
Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precise Traffic Solutions | Yes | Yes | www.precisetraffic.co.nz/ |
| All Traffic Management Services (ATMS) | Yes | Yes | www.atmsnz.co.nz/ |
| Traffic Management New Zealand | Yes | Yes | www.trafficmanagementnz.co.nz/ |
Please note that temporary traffic management companies will charge you a separate fee for TTM installation and TMP design, which does not include the CAR application fees paid to the Council.
The TMP should be attached to the CAR raised on Submitica.
Evidence of consultation with other parties
This needs to be attached to your Submitica application.
If your works affect any bus stops or bus routes and your traffic management plan includes temporarily moving a bus stop, then evidence of permission from Greater Wellington Regional Council needs to be attached to the CAR application. A copy of an email from GWRC giving approval is all that is needed. Contact [email protected]
Notification/Letter to affected businesses and residents
If you’re working around schools, businesses or residents and the work affects parking spaces, drop-off zones or accessibility to property, then you’ll need to upload to the CAR a letter of notification that will be sent to the affected parties.
Works Access Permit
Your CAR application will be reviewed and any changes that need to be made will be emailed to you. Once the CAR has been approved, you’ll be issued a Work Access Permit. This is your permission to undertake said works and must always be kept on site while you are working there. Special conditions may apply, which you are legally required to follow.
Activities which require excavation
Excavation works which will need a CAR application and a TMP are, amongst others:
- Digging, drilling, resurfacing work
- Placing ducts, pipes, poles, cabinet structures below or above the road corridor
- Building a new fence and your work site or equipment encroaches on the road corridor
- Building a new vehicle crossing (see below)
- Installing advertising signs in the road corridor. Start here to apply for consent for advertising signs.
- Vehicle crossings (see below)
This is not an exhaustive list of excavation works. If you want to know if your activity needs a CAR, please contact the Corridor Access Team.
Activities which are non-excavations
Non-excavation work which may need a CAR application and TMP are activities such as
- Filming
- Public events (see below)
- Using, or parking machinery such as cranes or cherry pickers
- Felling or pruning trees on, or over, the road corridor
- Flying a drone over the road corridor (see drone section below)
- Putting up temporary scaffolding
- Placing a shipping container which is not on private property
- Inspections and surveying
This is not an exhaustive list of non-excavation works. If you want to know if your activity needs a CAR, please contact the Corridor Access Team.
To submit a CAR application for non-excavation activities, use www.corridoraccess.co.nz/nz/non-excavation
Vehicle Crossings
In Porirua City, property owners are responsible for the construction and maintenance of their driveway and vehicle crossing.
Porirua City Council is responsible for maintaining the section of footpath.
All vehicle crossings must be created, operated and maintained in accordance with Section 335 of the Local Government Act 1974 and Council’s General Bylaws, Public Places clause 14.
When constructing your vehicle crossing it must meet certain requirements.
Temporary road closures
The Council may approve the temporary closure of roads for events, maintenance, construction and during unforeseen events. Closing the road without an approved TMP and an approved temporary road closure application is illegal and may result in a fine.
If you are planning to hold an event that requires a road closure you will need permission from the Council. More information can be found on the Road Closures for Events page.
Civil Works
If you have works planned ahead of time that may require road closure, please contact Corridor Access Team to discuss the closure further before submitting a CAR.
If you are closing only some, but not all, of the lanes on the road, you don’t need to arrange a meeting but will need to submit a CAR.
Unmanned aircraft/drone use
To fly a drone over the Porirua City Council owned road corridor you will need to:
- Apply for a permit. A permit will notify the council if you need to also apply for a CAR.
- Submit a CAR application if required.
- Check out the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) rules on drone use
The CAR will need to meet several conditions:
- public insurances,
- a traffic management plan, if required,
- a health and safety plan details around CAA requirements.
The Corridor Access Team will review these documents, which generally takes five working days, and send a confirmation via email.
It’s important to be aware that you may incur some costs in meeting these conditions. We expect most road-related drone flight requests will relate to worksites or roadworks, or specific events. Our primary focus is on the safety of our roads, and the motorists and other people who use them.
Utility Companies
Utility companies, please refer to the National Code of Practice for utility operators’ access to transport corridors.
State Highways
If your activity involves a state highway, you’ll need permission from Waka Kotahi (New Zealand Transport Agency).
Fees
Click here to view a list of fees for processing a CAR.
