Sealing the Hills - road sealing project

About Sealing the Hills

Sealing the Hills program started in 2019 and aimed to: 

• improve road safety and access 
• reduce dust and improve local amenity 
• provide more reliable routes for residents, emergency services and visitors 

Roads were assessed and prioritised based on agreed criteria, including traffic volumes, network function, environmental considerations and deliverability within the available funding. 

Completed projects

With available funding, Council sealed and delivered 38 local roads across 4 townships: 

Special charge schemes

Under the Sealing the Hills program, Council partnered with landowners to seal selected unsealed roads using special charge schemes. 

Thanks to Australian Government funding, landowner contributions were significantly lower than under previous road sealing schemes for this program. 

Road sealing projects only proceeded where a majority of landowners supported the works. Where properties were tenanted, landlords were consulted and responsible for contributions. 

Funding breakdown

• Australian Government funding covered approximately 85% of construction costs 
• Council and property owners contributed the remaining cost through a special charge scheme. 
• Landowner contributions were capped at $7,000 per development unit (benefit unit) for roads included in the Sealing the Hills program. 

In most cases: 

• One property was equal to one development unit 
• Properties capable of subdivision or more intensive development may have attracted more than one development unit (benefit unit), depending on zoning and development potential 

How were costs calculated per landowner? 

The amount each property owner contributed was based on: 

• the total cost of sealing the road, and 
• the number of rateable properties benefiting from the works 

Using Australian Government funding alongside landowner co‑payments allowed Council to seal more roads than would otherwise have been possible. 

Paying you contribution over time

You can pay over a number of years (specified at the time of the declaration of your special charge scheme), in the same way you pay your annual rates. 

Financing costs, like home loan interest rates, are added to your charge. This is determined following advice from Council’s financial institution. The interest rate is fixed for the period of the special charge. 

Paying a lump sum 

Property owners who choose to pay a lump sum, pay the full amount (with no financing costs) by the relevant annual rates due date. 

Financial hardship 

We understand that some property owners may experience financial hardship, and payment support is available. 

Council is committed to working respectfully and confidentially with property owners to help find an option that works for your situation. 

If you are having difficulty meeting your payment obligations, we can: 

• discuss financial hardship arrangements 
• provide information about repayment or deferment options, where available 

Support options will be outlined in correspondence, and Council encourages affected residents to get in touch.

Funding withdrawl

In January 2023, $109 million of committed funding was discontinued and withdrawn from the Sealing the Hills program by the Australian Government. 

164 roads were originally prioritised for sealing, and unfortunately, due to funding cuts, the program was reduced to 38 roads with the remaining $41 million funding. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Sealing the Hills funding withdrawal 

The discontinued roads included:  

What happens next?

We are committed to improving our unsealed road network and is continuing to advocate for additional funding to upgrade additional unsealed roads across the shire. 

Unsealed residential roads may be considered through other Council programs and processes, including: 

• ongoing maintenance of existing unsealed roads.  
• Strategic Sealed Roads program 
• actions, programs and projects from the Unsealed Roads Improvement Plan, which is included as one of our priorities in the Council Plan. This includes the Local Street Sealing Initiative 
• future road improvement programs subject to Council priorities, budgets and funding. 
• other road sealing projects, where applicable 

Enquiries

Contact the Major Roads Projects team 
Ph: 1300 787 624  
Mail: mail@cardinia.vic.gov.au 

More information

Sealing Roads in the Dandenong Ranges and Surrounds on the Australian Government website.