Two kinds of hoarding
The City of Sydney describes two types. A Type-A hoarding is generally a 2.1 m high ply-sheet fence attached to a timber or steel frame. A Type-B hoarding is a heavier structure built over a footway or roadway to shield the public from above.
- 1Ply-sheet fence, generally 2.1 m high (Type-A).
- 2The timber or steel frame that holds it up.
- 3A deck spanning the footway, giving overhead protection (Type-B).
- 4People walk under the deck, not around it.
- 5The clear width of footpath left for pedestrians.
What sits behind a hoarding on the footpath
- City of SydneyTemporary structures, which include hoardings, scaffolding and site sheds, need approval before they are installed in, on or above a public road. The council charges a footway or roadway occupation fee based on the hoarding type, location and length along the frontage, and some hoardings, mainly Type-B, also need a performance bond against damage to public property, including footway surfaces and street trees.
- City of SydneyWhere scaffolding stands on a footway or roadway, a Type-A hoarding fence must protect it at street level. If a narrow footway means scaffolding must sit partly on the road, or within 300 mm of the kerb, barriers must protect it from vehicles and an approved alternative path past the site must be provided for pedestrians. Around heritage-listed sites, or in areas of heritage significance, temporary structures must carry historic images of the area.
- City of MelbourneA hoarding, gantry or scaffold on a public road or footpath needs a temporary protective structure permit, applied for at least 10 business days before the works. A hoarding on private property does not need that permit.
- City of MelbourneA structural engineer must inspect the structure after it is installed, and inspect and recertify it on site every six months it stays up.
How much footpath has to stay open
The City of Melbourne’s code sets a minimum clear path width that must be available to pedestrians at all times, free of poles, cabinets, trees, street furniture or temporary fence feet. Outside the central city and activity centres, that minimum is 80% of the existing width or 1,500 mm, whichever is greater; the central city and activity centres require more, from 1,800 mm to 3,000 mm. Where a stage of the work leaves no choice but to close a footpath, the code says it must stay closed for no longer than needed.
The City of Sydney requires approval to temporarily close or partly obstruct a footpath, cycleway or roadway during works. The application needs a traffic or pedestrian control plan prepared by a person holding a SafeWork NSW training card, in line with AS 1742.3.
Trucks, kerbs and works zones
A works zone is a stretch of road where vehicles involved in construction can stop. The City of Sydney says loading and unloading is generally expected to happen within the site, and it may consider an on-street works zone only where that is not feasible. Works zones are generally not suitable within 20 m of an intersection with traffic lights, or within 10 m of one without. If approved, a works zone is installed 14 days after the council receives the security deposit and fees and nearby properties are notified. Some developments must also have an approved construction traffic management plan as a condition of their consent.
The City of Melbourne requires a construction management plan in three cases: works that will run four weeks or longer and that could disrupt road users; excavation that leaves the land lower than the road or footpath; and demolition that needs public space or could affect public safety. A plan is also required when the council asks for one in writing, or when the planning permit calls for it. For works that need one, its code says builders should keep the occupiers of every property within 50 m of the site boundary regularly updated.
If a footpath beside a site looks unsafe, or the closure looks different from what the notice on the hoarding says, Raising a concern about a site lists who to contact.