Overview
Improving unsealed roads is a long‑standing priority for Council and the community; however, sealing all unsealed roads at once is not financially possible.
That’s why we’re introducing the Local Street Sealing Initiative (LSSI) — a consistent, long‑term framework to guide how residential unsealed roads upgrades may be considered across the shire.
The initiative is supported through Special Charge Schemes (SCS), allowing Council and directly benefitting property owners to share the cost of road upgrades.
Participation in the initiative provides a financially structured framework for planning and property owner engagement, through which potential Special Charge Schemes may be developed, alongside Council’s ongoing advocacy for additional funding.
A long‑term framework to improving unsealed roads
The LSSI establishes a clear and consistent approach to future planning.
It allows Council to gradually progress Special Charge Scheme consultations across residential unsealed roads, rather than attempting to assess or upgrade all roads at once.
Endorsed by Council at the April 2026 Council Meeting, the LSSI establishes a sustained planning framework that:
- sets out Council’s long‑term approach to upgrading residential unsealed roads through Special Charge Schemes
- ensures a fair, consistent and financially sustainable method for planning and engagement
- explains how roads may be identified, assessed and considered using weighted criteria
- outlines Council’s engagement process for potential Special Charge Scheme proposals
- streamlines the consideration of roads for future upgrades
Guiding future planning
The LSSI focuses on outlining clear engagement principles and evidence‑based assessment guidelines to support consistent planning across the shire.
Engagement with property owners is an essential part of the LSSI framework, with Council proposing to consider a Special Charge Scheme (SCS) on each street individually.
Each eligible road will be assessed over time and prioritised for engagement, depending on the following criteria:
- affordability and estimated resident contribution costs
- ongoing maintenance requirements and asset management costs
- safety and emergency access
- resident enquiries and petitions
In addition, any proposal may also be influenced by:
- property owners engagement and support
- future funding availability
- technical assessments and data analysis
- further Council decisions and direction
🚗Current roads identified
Current petitions before Council
- Lenne Street, Beaconsfield Upper
- Sutherland Street, Beaconsfield Upper
Received petitions - pending upcoming Council Meetings
- View Hill Road, Cockatoo
🛣️Find my road
Coming soon
More information including a search tool is expected to be shared after the May 2026 Council Meeting.
🤝Direct engagement process
Engagement is a key part of the Local Street Sealing Initiative (LSSI). Consultation is targeted and only occurs when a specific road is being considered for a future Special Charge Scheme.
If your local unsealed road is being considered under the LSSI, direct engagement happens step‑by‑step and:
- You will only be contacted if and when your street is being considered
- You will have clear opportunities to ask questions and provide feedback
- No project will proceed without demonstrated property owner support
Council starts by reviewing unsealed roads using:
- technical advice
- available funding
- information collected as part of the Local Street Sealing Initiative
If a road moves forward for consideration, affected property owners will be notified.
Before any formal engagement begins, Council officers will:
- inspect the road
- understand what types of works may be needed
- prepare early cost estimates
This helps ensure any proposal is realistic and based on site conditions.
Property owners will receive a letter inviting them to an information session.
At the session, Council officers will:
- explain the proposed scope of works
- share estimated costs
- answer questions
After the session, residents will be asked to complete a survey to indicate whether they support or oppose the proposal.
Council reviews:
- technical assessments
- cost information
- all community feedback
If majority support is received, Council may decide to continue.
If there is less than 50% support or community opposition, the proposal will not proceed.
If the proposal is supported, the statutory Special Charge Scheme process begins, which is outlined in the Local Government Act 2020 and our Special Charge Scheme policy.
If the proposal continues:
- detailed design plans are prepared
- final costs are confirmed
- a second information session is held
Residents can still formally support or object to the scheme and make submissions to Council. If required, objections can also be considered by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
Construction will not start until:
- all legal requirements are met through the complete consultation process
- sufficient community support is achieved
- funding is available
- Council supports the scheme
💬FAQs
The LSSI is a long-term framework that guides how Council plans and considers sealing unsealed residential roads over time using a fair, consistent and financially sustainable approach.
Improving unsealed roads is highlighted as one of the priorities in the Council Plan, and LSSI outlines how Council will begin to assess and progress with sealing additional residential roads through Special Charge Scheme proposals.
No. It means your street may be considered for future planning and engagement through a proposed Special Charge Scheme process.
To be eligible for consideration as part of the LSSI, an unsealed road needs to be located with a minimum of 25 residential properties per kilometre.
To determine a way forward, roads are considered and assessed using clear criteria such as affordability, safety and emergency access, maintenance costs and demonstrated community interests.
Inclusion in the initiative does not guarantee future construction, but supports Council’s commitment to progress, consistent planning and engagement over time.
If your road hasn’t been included as part of the LSSI, this may mean that it doesn’t meet the current eligibility criteria.
The Local Street Sealing Initiative is a long-term framework that guides how Council will plan and consider sealing unsealed residential roads over time through Special Charge Scheme proposals.
To ensure Council takes a sustainable approach, the LSSI outlines clear assessment criteria to guide how Council proceeds with planning and engagement across the shire.
To be eligible for consideration as part of the LSSI, an unsealed road needs to be located within a residential area with 25 properties or more per kilometre.
All eligible unsealed residential roads have been assessed against a range of criteria, including:
- Estimated resident contribution costs as part of a special charge scheme
- Ongoing maintenance schedule and associated costs
- Emergency access and connectivity
- Resident enquiries and demonstrated community interest
Roads are considered using clear criteria to ensure decisions are fair, consistent, evidence‑based and financially affordable across the shire moving forward.
The assessment framework and criteria were developed using:
- Over 9 years of historical data
- Technical input from a team of engineers and asset specialists
- Benchmarking against best‑practice approaches used by other councils
The LSSI framework and criteria was presented to Council for consideration and was endorsed at the April 2026 Council meeting.
Council estimates that total sealing project costs could vary from $18,000 to $1.5 million per unsealed residential road.
With Council currently managing over 800km of unsealed roads across Cardinia Shire, the substantial costs mean that sealing all unsealed roads at once is not financially viable for Council or ratepayers.
Improving unsealed roads continues to be a high priority, with Council continuing to advocate for additional funding and support from all levels of government to see more significant progress being made.
The Local Street Sealing Initiative sets out what Council can realistically begin to do, taking a staged, long‑term approach towards engagement and making improvements, while we continue to advocate for additional funding.
Council is proposing to use Special Charge Schemes to progress with future road sealing projects on eligible roads as part of the LSSI.
While no additional funding has been secured to date, a special charge scheme is a legislated way for Council and benefiting property owners to share the cost of local road upgrades.
Council estimates that property owner contributions may vary between $8000 to $26,000 per benefit unit as part of the LSSI. Indicative costs will be provided per street and property during community engagement, and costs are expected to vary depending on the street, scope of works and individual property.
Ongoing engagement with property owners is a vital element of the LSSI and any Special Charge Scheme, with community feedback being used to determine whether a proposal proceeds or not. If a scheme receives majority support, then a decision will go to Council to determine if Council and property owners share the cost and ultimately, if the project can go to construction.
Council is continuing to advocate for additional funding and support from all levels of government to improve Cardinia Shire’s large, unsealed road network.
The LSSI sets out what Council can realistically begin to do now, but it’s a long-term plan and progress will only happen gradually over time unless additional funding becomes available.
To see significant progress be made across the shire, Council needs further investment and support to deliver more upgrades.
Council has included $200,000 in the draft 2026–27 Budget to support early planning, assessment and engagement work as part of the LSSI.
In January 2023, $109 million of committed funding was discontinued and withdrawn from the Sealing the Hills program by the Australian Government.
Due to funding cuts, the program was reduced and Council delivered and sealed 38 roads with the remaining $41 million in funding. The Sealing the Hills program has since been completed.
Council is continuing to advocate for funding from all levels of government; however, no additional funding has been secured to date.
The Local Street Sealing Initiative sets out what Council can realistically begin to do, taking a staged, long‑term approach towards engagement and making improvements, while we continue to advocate for additional funding.
For more information on Council’s ongoing advocacy efforts, visit www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/together-we-rise
Improving unsealed roads continues to be a high priority, with Council continuing to advocate for additional funding and support from all levels of government to see more significant progress being made.
Council is actively advocating for additional unsealed roads funding ahead of the State election and to date, no additional funding has been secured.
The Local Street Sealing Initiative sets out what Council can realistically begin to do, taking a staged, long‑term approach towards engagement and making improvements, while we continue to advocate for additional funding.
