Key takeaways
- The approver depends on who manages the road: usually the state road authority for state roads and the local council for local roads.
- One job can need more than one approval, for example a state road permit and a council permit where works cross both.
- Other parties may need to agree or be consulted: police for events, bus operators, rail authorities, toll road operators and private land owners.
- Approval of the plan does not transfer your safety duties; the plan still has to be prepared by a suitably qualified person and implemented as approved.
- Names, forms and processing times change, so confirm the current process with the road authority or council before you lodge.
Who approves a traffic management plan depends on who manages the road. On state roads, it is usually the state road authority, such as Transport for NSW or Transport and Main Roads in Queensland. On local roads, it is usually the local council. Many jobs also need police, bus operator, rail or private owner input.
That sounds simple, but the trouble starts at the edges: a job crossing a state road and a council street, a footpath beside a highway, a car park that looks public but is private, or an event that uses several roads. This guide sets out the approvers by state and territory, the other parties that commonly need to agree, and a worked example of a job that needs two approvals. It is general information only. Authority names, forms and processing times change, so confirm the current process with the road authority or council before you lodge. NSW is listed first because it is where many readers work.
The basic rule: the road manager approves
Each road has a manager responsible for it. Broadly:
- State-managed roads, such as motorways, highways and many major arterials, are managed by the state or territory road authority.
- Local roads are usually managed by the local council.
- Private roads and land, such as shopping centre car parks, industrial estates and some toll roads, are controlled by the owner or operator, who may have their own approval process, while the road authority may still be involved where the work affects public roads.
The road manager decides whether your traffic arrangements can be used on its road and on what conditions, such as permitted hours, notification and speed zones. Our guide on working on state roads vs council roads explains how to tell the difference and why it matters.
Approvers by state and territory
This table lists the main approvers for works on roads. It does not cover every permit a job might need, such as building, hoarding, crane or footpath dining permits.
| State or territory | State roads | Local roads | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | Transport for NSW (road occupancy licence where required) | Local council | Councils and contracts may still reference older NSW manuals; check which document applies |
| Queensland | Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) | Local council | TMR permits for state-controlled roads differ from other permits a job may need |
| Victoria | Department of Transport and Planning (VicRoads) for freeways and arterial roads | Local council for municipal roads | Worksite traffic management Code of Practice applies; permit types differ by road |
| Western Australia | Main Roads WA | Local government | Main Roads requires portable traffic control devices on many of its roads |
| South Australia | Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) | Local council | Uses the national Austroads training framework |
| Tasmania | Department of State Growth | Local council | State road works have their own permit process |
| ACT | ACT Government (no local councils) | ACT Government | Check the current ACT Government agency and application process |
| Northern Territory | NT Government | Local council for council roads | Remote areas affect timing and logistics |
For state-specific detail, see the guides on the NSW road occupancy licence, the Queensland road corridor permit vs traffic control permit and Victorian MoA permits.
Other parties who may need to agree
The road manager is rarely the only party. Depending on the job, you may need agreement from or consultation with:
| Party | When they are typically involved |
|---|---|
| Police | Events, some full road closures, and works that affect police operations |
| Bus and public transport operators | Bus stops, bus routes and light rail corridors |
| Rail authorities | Works near level crossings or rail corridors |
| Toll road and motorway operators | Works on or affecting their roads |
| Emergency services | Closures and detours that affect response routes |
| Heavy vehicle regulator or road managers | Detours for restricted-access or oversize vehicles |
| Private owners | Car parks, private roads, access over private land |
| Neighbouring sites and residents | Driveway access and notifications required by permit conditions |
These parties usually do not approve your TGS in the same way the road manager does, but their requirements can change it. For example, a bus operator may need a temporary stop location, which then has to appear on the plan.
Example scenario: a trench that crosses a state road and a council street
Here is how this plays out on a typical job. A telecommunications contractor in NSW needs to trench across a council side street and then bore under the adjoining state road at the intersection. The work takes three nights.
Step 1: Identify each road manager. The contractor checks with the council and confirms the side street is a council road and the main road is a state road managed by Transport for NSW.
Step 2: Work out the approvals. The state road works need Transport for NSW approval, which may include a road occupancy licence. The council street works need council approval and the council's road opening process. A bus route runs along the main road.
Step 3: One design, consistent documents. The contractor briefs one traffic designer to prepare the traffic guidance schemes for both roads, so the signs on the side street do not conflict with the main road arrangement at the intersection.
Step 4: Lodge both, in the right order. Both applications go in on the same day, each referencing the other, with the same dates and hours.
What goes wrong: the council approves three nights starting Monday, but Transport for NSW approves different nights because of another work on the corridor. The contractor now holds two approvals that do not line up. The fix: they ask the council to amend the dates to match, rather than starting the council street works without the main road arrangement in place.
What gets recorded: both approvals and their conditions, the permitted hours, the matching TGS revisions, the bus operator's agreement, and a note of the date change. The traffic control provider receives all of it before confirming crews.
Who prepares, who approves, who implements
People often blur three different roles. Keeping them separate prevents most approval problems.
- Prepares: a suitably qualified traffic management designer prepares the TGS, under your state's requirements.
- Approves: the road manager, and any other party whose consent is required, approves or accepts the arrangement for its road.
- Implements: a competent traffic control crew sets it up, maintains it and removes it exactly as approved, with inspections during the shift.
Approval does not remove anyone's safety duties under work health and safety laws. If conditions on site are different from the plan, changes must go through the process your approval and state guidance require. Our guide on changing a TGS on site explains who can make which changes.
Common mix-ups that send applications to the wrong desk
Most delays in approval start with a wrong assumption about who the approver is. These come up again and again:
| Assumption | Why it causes trouble | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| "It's a big road, so it must be a state road" | Some busy roads are council roads, and some quiet ones are state roads | Confirm the road manager with the council before lodging |
| "The footpath belongs to the road authority" | Footpath works next to a state road may still need council approval | Ask both the council and the state road authority |
| "The car park is public, so council approves it" | Shopping centre and hospital car parks are often private | Ask the owner or centre management first |
| "The principal contractor approved the TGS, so we're done" | A contractor's internal review is not the road manager's approval | Treat internal review and authority approval as separate steps |
| "Last year's permit covers this year's job" | Approvals are for specific dates, hours and arrangements | Lodge for the new job, referencing the old one if helpful |
| "The traffic control company handles approvals" | Some do as a service, many do not | Agree in writing who lodges and who chases each approval |
A short call to the council's roads or traffic team at the start of a project, asking who manages each road on your site, often saves weeks. Write down who you spoke to, when, and what they said, and keep it in the project file.
When a job is large or long, it can also help to ask the approver for a pre-lodgement discussion. Bring a draft plan, the programme and a list of affected roads. Approvers would generally rather resolve a problem in a meeting than in a second round of comments.
A checklist before you lodge
- Confirm who manages every road and footpath the job affects.
- List every approval, permit and consultation the job needs.
- Get one designer to prepare consistent plans for all approvals.
- Check permitted work hours and any blackout periods with each approver.
- Identify bus stops, rail crossings, driveways and emergency routes.
- Lodge early, with the same dates and hours on every application.
- Track every approval's conditions in one list for the crew.
Next steps
Before your next job, confirm which authority manages each road you will touch and what it needs from you. For current processes, check Transport for NSW, Transport and Main Roads, VicRoads or your local council, and the national guidance from Austroads. When your approvals are in place, a provider using TrafWise can take your booking with the approved plan attached.
Frequently asked questions
Who approves a traffic management plan?
Generally the authority that manages the road. For state roads that is the state road authority, such as Transport for NSW, Transport and Main Roads in Queensland or Main Roads WA. For local roads it is usually the local council. Some works also need police, bus operator, rail or private owner input.
How do I know if a road is a state road or a council road?
Ask the local council or check the state road authority's published road classification information. Main highways and major arterials are often state roads, but not always, and some council roads carry heavy traffic. Do not guess from the road's size or name; confirm before lodging, because lodging with the wrong authority wastes weeks.
Does the council approve traffic plans on state roads?
Usually not as the road manager, but the council may still need to be involved, for example for footpath works, hoardings, works zones or local impacts. The state road authority normally deals with the road itself. Where a job affects both, expect to apply to both and keep the plans consistent.
Who approves traffic management for events?
Events usually involve several approvers: the council, the police, and the state road authority if state roads are affected, with public transport operators consulted. Requirements depend on the size of the event and the roads used. Start early, because event approvals often take much longer than routine works approvals.
Does approval mean my traffic plan is safe?
Approval means the authority has accepted the plan for its road. It does not remove your duties under work health and safety laws. You still need a suitably qualified person to prepare the plan, a risk assessment, competent crews, regular inspections, and changes made through the approved process when site conditions differ.