You probably call the whole thing your driveway. Your council doesn't. The strip between the kerb and your boundary is normally a vehicle crossing, or crossover, on council land.
Everything behind the boundary is your driveway, and that line decides who approves the work, whose standard it's built to, and who pays when something goes wrong.
Two sections, two sets of rules
| Vehicle crossing | Driveway | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Kerb to property boundary | Boundary to garage |
| Land | Council road reserve | Your property |
| Built to | Council standard drawing | Building approval conditions |
| Approval | Usually a council permit | Part of the building approval |
Arrangements vary between councils — this is the common pattern, not a rule. Check with yours.
You normally pay for both. Paying for the crossing doesn't make it yours, any more than paying for a footpath repair outside your house does.
Maintenance can stay with you too. IPWEA standard drawing RS-050, published by councils including the City of Gold Coast, makes crossing maintenance the property owner's responsibility. Council land, your upkeep.
Why it matters for gradient
The crossing has its own profile requirements from the council's standard drawing, and they needn't match your driveway's.
Both still have to meet. A crossing at one grade and a driveway at another produce the abrupt change that grounds cars, often right where you're entering from the road at your worst angle.
Design without the crossing's levels and you're guessing at half the profile.
What to ask your council
- Do I need a permit for the vehicle crossing, and is it separate from the building approval?
- Which standard drawing applies, and can I have a copy?
- What gradient and width does that drawing require?
- Who maintains it afterwards?
- Any restrictions on where it can go, like services, trees, kerb ramps or corner setbacks?
The practical version
Treat the crossing and the driveway as one continuous profile governed by two documents. Get the council's standard drawing before the driveway is designed, not after it's poured.
Behind the boundary, see driveway gradients in Queensland.
Disclaimer
General information, not advice. Responsibility for vehicle crossings, and the standards they must meet, differ between local governments and can change. Nothing here describes any particular council's requirements. Confirm the position with the council for the property in question before undertaking work.
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