The proposed upgrade offers an improved and permanent asphalt seal that will have greater durability and visual amenity than the existing trial seals. No drainage, kerb and channelling or footpaths would be included. The materials and design will alter street to street, as with any road build, depending on the specific needs of the street such as traffic levels and the existing strength of the road foundation. The proposed upgrade will follow the existing road width.

Once completed, the road will be incorporated into Council’s sealed road network and maintained at Council’s expense. Property owners will not be asked to contribute again for future road sealing costs.

A contribution amount of $4,000 per property is required for the upgrade to move forward. Please note that no payment is required at this time.

A survey will be sent to all property owners in the year prior to the scheduled removal of the existing seal to determine if they are supportive of the upgrade and willing to pay. If all property owners are supportive invoices will be issued in due course.

For an upgrade to proceed, all property owners must be supportive of the upgrade and be agreeable to pay.

If your street does not support an upgrade, the existing surface seal will be removed, and the road will be changed to a compacted layer of crushed rock.

If your street decides to pursue an upgrade in the future, a petition can be submitted in accordance with the Urban Roads and Drainage Improvement Policy. Please note that the fixed contribution amount of $4,000 will no longer apply.

For property owners who are unable to pay the contribution amount upfront, the following short term repayment options are available:

• repayment over 6 months with an administrative fee of $60 (total $4,060)

• repayment over 1 year with an administrative fee of $240 (total $4,240)

• repayment over 2 years with an administrative fee of $480 (total $4,480)

Property owners experiencing financial hardship may be eligible for assistance in accordance with Council’s Hardship and Financial Hardship Policy.

Council’ Revenue Services Team can be contacted by calling 1300 BCOAST (226 278) or
(03) 5671 2211.

If property owners are supportive of an upgrade, the removal of the trial seal and construction of the new road surface will occur at the same time. This means there will be no period in which the road is returned to an unsealed surface.

With other upgrade projects, such as special charge schemes, Council contributes financially towards the benefits received by the wider community.

A fixed $4,000 contribution per property has been introduced to provide property owners with a fair and reasonable upgrade opportunity, while ensuring Council also contributes for the benefit received by the wider community.

Council uses money from rates to provide many services, including road maintenance. However, this money does not cover new improvements like building unsealed roads, kerbs, footpaths, or drainage if they don't already exist.

Bass Coast Shire Council manages over 100kms of urban unmade roads with inadequate infrastructure, such as no sealed roads or formal underground drainage. The estimated cost of bringing these urban areas to a basic level of infrastructure was over $250 million in 2024.

The Policy includes a one-off contribution amount of $4,000 per property to have the road seal permanently upgraded as a discounted cost. This approach to road upgrades ensures a fair and equitable approach for all ratepayers across Bass Coast.

We take your privacy very seriously.

The Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) governs the way in which Council needs to responsibly collect, handle and protect personal information and ensure data security.

Council is not allowed to release your personal information, including whether you support or don’t support the proposed upgrade. We will not share this information with your neighbours, even if asked.

You can find out more about Council’s Privacy Policy on our website at www.basscoast.vic.gov.au/policies.

An independent condition assessment of the remaining dust suppression seals around the Shire was completed in December 2025. The audit considered the condition of the road's surface based on defects like cracking, roughness, stripping, and pavement failures.

The results of this audit have found that these seals must be removed to ensure the roads remain safe and usable for our community.

Council completed an independent condition assessment of the remaining dust suppression seals around the Shire in December 2025. The audit determined the Surface Condition Index (SCI) for each seal taking into consideration defects like cracking, roughness, stripping, and pavement failures.

For streets with multiple segments of existing dust suppression seal, the SCI was determined by considering the SCI of each individual road segment in proportion to its size. Each segment's SCI was adjusted based on its share of the total road area, and these adjusted values were then combined to produce a single SCI that represents the condition of the entire road.

Further details on how each streets SCI was determined can be viewed here.

The results of this audit have found that these seals must be removed to ensure the roads remain safe and usable for our community.

Council will contact property owners within the 12 months prior to the scheduled removal of the dust suppression seal to ask if they are interested in an upgrade. There is no need to submit a petition.

If all property owners on your street agree, invoices will be issued, and works will commence after payment is made.

During works, all efforts will be made to reduce impact on wildlife and vegetation.

Upgrades will follow the current footprint of the existing seals and does not include works that impact the nature strip or surrounding reserves. There are no anticipated impacts on existing vegetation.

If vegetation removal is unexpectedly required, Council will apply for permits in line with all requirements.

The upgrade outlined in the Dust Suppression Seal Removal Policy involves only the construction of a road seal.

Streets wanting to explore other upgrades such as drainage and traffic calming would need to petition through the Urban Road and Drainage Improvement Policy.

The application of the dust suppressant seals was undertaken as a trial only in Bass Coast between 2005 and 2007.

These seals were designed to be low cost and temporary as minimal preparation was undertaken on the subgrade and base materials in order to keep costs low.

At the end of the trial in 2010 an analysis was undertaken on the various treatments. This investigation found that the seal was not sustainable over the long term. A management strategy was adopted by Council in 2013 to resolve this.

Council has completed an independent condition audit of the remaining dust suppression seals to guide their removal. The results of the audit can be viewed here.

The results of the audit have shown that these seals have now reached end of life condition, resulting in safety concerns, poor accessibility, and reduced visual amenity. To ensure the roads remain safe and usable for our community, these seals must now be removed.

The proposed Dust Suppression Seal Removal Policy upgrade option applies to properties that are currently affected by a temporary dust suppression seal. This upgrade option may be offered to other connecting segments of road, particularly where it is logical to maintain a continuous road network.

Property owners on streets that are already unsealed can pursue an upgrade under the Urban Road and Drainage Improvement (URDI) Policy. You can find out more about this Policy on the URDI Engage Page here.

The temporary dust suppression seals that are still in place have reached end of life condition and can no longer be patched and repaired to meet Council’s serviceability standards and pose a risk to user safety. These roads are more expensive to maintain than an unsealed surface or permanently sealed road, however the primary reason for their removal is concerning their usability and safety for road users.

In 2020 the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria reviewed the product sourced for road making in Bass Coast. The assessment concluded that the health risk to residents from occasional exposure to road dust would be considered low.

The material used for road making is applied following relevant guidelines so that it should not affect the health and amenity of residents during road construction or maintenance activities.

When roads are more frequently used such as long weekends and school holiday periods road dust volumes can increase.

The EPA has information on how people can reduce the impacts of dust on their health - www.epa.vic.gov.au/dust.

Council’s website also lists information on how to reduce exposure for those who live on unsealed roads - www.basscoast.vic.gov.au/dust

The best solution for reducing dust exposure is to seal roads with an asphalt surface.

Bass Coast Shire Council is committed to making our communities safe and easy for everyone to use.

The current state of the seals, including potholes and cracking, is creating issues for people who use prams, wheelchairs, and mobility aids.

The construction of pedestrian footpaths is not included in the Draft Dust Suppression Seal Removal Policy.

Communities that wish to explore the addition of footpaths can do so through the Urban Roads and Drainage Improvement Policy. Council contributes 50% of all footpath costs to encourage communities to include footpaths in their upgrade designs to increase accessibility for all.

You can ask questions by calling Council’s Customer Service Team on 1300 BCOAST (226 278) or (03) 5671 2211, or by emailing roadupgrades@basscoast.vic.gov.au.