Outback Road / Tourism NT

NT Roads

Printer iconLarger text size iconSmaller text size icon

Use of Road Bores

  • Owner:Road Network Division
  • Manager:Road Projects Division
  • Date of Effect:13/12/2002
  • Amendment Date:
  • Number:RNDPO04-11
  • Previous Ref:P02/03F

Background

Road bores are constructed to ensure that the Department of Planning and Infrastructure and its contractors have ready access to water for construction and maintenance of the road network. There have been requests from landholders for access to the bore network. This policy sets out the guidelines for approval and the procedures to be followed.

 

Guidelines

Issues

In considering giving landholders access to road bores we must be confident that the bore has sufficient capacity to meet our present and future needs as well as meet the needs of the landholder. This capacity can be measured by either airlift rate (obtained from RIMS or from Water Resources within the Department) or pump rate obtained from independent tests.

While the landholder may be given approval to access the bore, the lease to do so does not entitle the landholder to erect any structures or carry out trenching activities. This would require a separate approval involving permission to work within the road reserve and permission to erect / trench as required.

The Policy

The Department will permit the use of departmental bores by landholders providing the bore has sufficient capacity to meet the needs of the Department and those of the landholder and the following conditions are met.

Conditions

  1. The Department and its contractors will have first call on use of the bore.
  2. The landholder must apply in writing to the Maintenance Manager in the Region for approval to use the bore.
  3. The application must include a “capacity demand” expressed as intended total daily volume, period that the bore will be required and pump lift rate in litres per second.
  4. Permission to use the bore will be in the form of a lease signed by both parties and may be withdrawn by the Department at any time.
  5. The landholder is responsible to maintain the bore and its surrounds in good condition and to reinstate the bore to its previous condition if requested to do so.
  6. Existing arrangements shall be reviewed over the next three years.

Restrictions

  1. A permit to work within the road reserve must be obtained prior to any work commencing.
  2. The use of any type of pipe through culverts within the road reserve is strictly prohibited.
  3. Trenching through sealed surfaces is not permitted.
  4. The discharge point shall not be in close proximity to the bore thus preventing damage to the bore surrounds and ensuring year round access for contractors.
  5. The discharge point must be in such a position so as to prevent stock from wandering onto or across the road reserve.

Equipped and Unequipped Bores

  1. Where a bore is equipped by the Department and approval to use the bore is granted, the landholder shall be responsible for the maintenance, upkeep and associated costs of any and all equipment and fixtures.
  2. Where the landholder has equipped the bore any and all equipment and fixtures are to be removed at the expiration of the lease at the landholder’s expense.
  3. Where use of a road bore equipped by the landholder is required for use by the Department or a contractor undertaking work on the road network, then a minimum of 14 days prior notice of our intent shall be given to the landholder. Agreement to use the equipment (if it is suitable for our purposes) shall be obtained by the Maintenance Manager prior to the use of the road bore.
  4. This notice shall be in writing and shall be served on the landholder.
  5. If agreement cannot be reached or the equipment is not suitable then the Maintenance Manager should send a notice to the landholder giving 14 days prior notice of the Department's intention to use the bore and requesting removal of the equipment.

If the landholder fails to remove the equipment within 14 days of the notice the equipment is to be removed by the Department or its contractor prior to the commencement of the work and the landholder advised. The contractor is to restore the bore and surrounds to their condition prior to the works commencing.

Existing Leases

Where a lease is already in place prior to the date of effect of this policy, the lease is to be reviewed and a new lease signed in accordance with this policy. The time frame for this review is within three years from the date of effect of this policy.

A sample copy of the lease is attached.

1 Served shall have the meaning expressed in Section 25 of the Interpretations Act. That is, by properly addressing and posting it by prepaid post, and service is deemed to have been effected at the time at which the package would be delivered in the ordinary course of post.