Temporary Road ClosuresTe whakarite katinga taupua rori

Closing a road without consent and without an approved Traffic Management Plan is illegal.You must apply for temporary road closures at least two months prior to the date.

Council staff do not have legal authority to approve closures for public events.  Under the Local Government Act 1974 only the elected Council or a council committee can approve the closure. It is not possible to ‘fast track’ a late or urgent application.

Temporary road closures are typically requested for activities and events such as exhibitions, shows, markets, filming or sports events.

Council will not accept any liability for damage of any kind caused to any person, vehicles, property or business that occurs within or outside the road corridor arising from the closure of the road corridor and any activities within it.

Applying for a temporary road closure

The first step in applying for a temporary road closure is to discuss your proposal with Council’s transportation officer.

Next you need to fill out the application form, either on line:

view Temporary Road Closure application form

Or using the form available in the 'related documents' section at the top of this page (choose Word or PDF).

What do I need to provide with my application?

You will need to provide:

• A complete and correct application form
• A fully complying traffic management plan (prepared by a certified Site Traffic Management Supervisor; see below)
• A health and safety plan
• A completed resident visiting form showing that all residents or businesses adjoining the proposed closure area have been visited and given details of the proposal (see the form in the 'related documents' section at the bottom of this page)
• A copy of a Public Liability Insurance certificate for not less than $500,000 ($1,000,000 for races, rallies and similar events)
• Road damage bond; the amount is set by a Council transportation engineer

Traffic management plans

Applications for a temporary road closure must be accompanied by a Traffic Management Plan (TMP). From 1 May 2021 TMPs must be prepared by a certified Temporary Traffic Management Planner (TTM Planner).

Certified traffic management companies in Hawke’s Bay include:

The cost of preparing the Traffic Management Plan is separate to the Council process and should be discussed with your traffic management provider.

Advertising and objections

The proposal will be advertised via public notice in:

• Hawke’s Bay Today or The Hastings Leader newspapers, as appropriate

Anyone who feels they are adversely affected by the proposal has 10 working days from the time of public notification to lodge a submission.

Once submissions are received, the transportation officer will discuss with the applicant any issues raised that they consider may be overcome by changes to the application or the traffic management plan. The application, with any submissions received, will then go to the next available road closure sub-committee meeting.  

If approved, the temporary road closure will be advertised to the public.

Timeframe for approval

It takes four to eight weeks on average to get a proposal to the next available road closure sub-committee meeting.

Once Council has made a decision the transportation officer will advise you by email, letter or phone call.

If the application is rejected you will be given the reasons for the decision.

If the application is approved, the transportation officer will provide:

• A letter/email confirming that the temporary road closure is approved
• A copy of the approved traffic management plan
• Information on any other requirements, including notification to affected property owners/businesses/residents

Road damage bond

A road damage bond is charged for events that may damage any part of the road and its associated infrastructure. Transportation engineers will inspect the site before and after the event. If repairs are required, the bond will be used.  If the repairs cost more than the bond, the event organisers will be invoiced for the outstanding sum. Any excess bond will be refunded.  

Further information

Please contact Council's Transportation Officer if you have further questions.

Fees and charges

• The advertising fee for each application is set by the Hawke’s Bay Today newspaper and billed to the applicant. The advertising fee covers the cost of advertising the proposed closure and the cost of advertising the confirmed closure if it is approved.
• If the closure is not approved, the fee for the second notice will be refunded.
• If the application is rejected because it is not received more than two months before the event, the full sum will be returned.