Concrete Crossovers in Sale and Wellington Shire: Permits, Specs and Costs

If you have priced a new driveway in Sale, you have probably seen the words 'council crossover' on a quote and wondered why a separate line item turned up. A crossover is the section of paved surface that runs from the road kerb across the council nature strip and up to your property boundary. It is not part of your driveway. It is Wellington Shire infrastructure that you happen to pay for. Here is what every Sale homeowner should know before signing a quote.

What a crossover actually is

The crossover (sometimes called a layback, a vehicle crossing, or a VC) is the piece of concrete between the road and the front edge of your property. It includes the kerb cut, the splay where the kerb meets the road, and the slab across the nature strip. Inside your boundary, you have a driveway. Outside your boundary, the council owns the asset.

Because the crossover sits on council land, Wellington Shire controls its dimensions, its materials and (in some cases) the contractor who is allowed to pour it. Pour a non-compliant crossover and the council can require you to rip it out and redo it. That is the bit Sale homeowners get caught on most often.

Why Wellington Shire cares

Three reasons drive the rules:

• Stormwater. The kerb and channel are part of the council drainage network. A crossover has to maintain water flow along the kerb, not block it. This matters more in older Sale streets where the kerb sits low.
• Sight lines for traffic. The angle and width of the splay affect how cars enter and exit the property safely.
• Underground services. Telecommunications, water, gas and stormwater pits often sit under the nature strip. Wellington Shire needs to know what is being poured over what.

Wellington Shire crossover specs

Wellington Shire publishes its own standard crossover drawings. The common ranges look like this:

Confirm the exact numbers against Wellington Shire's current drawing at application time. We set out to whichever drawing is in force the day we lodge the permit.

The permit process in Wellington Shire

Wellington Shire requires a permit for a new or replacement crossover. The process generally looks like this:

1. We submit an application on your behalf with a site sketch and the standard drawing.
2. Wellington Shire reviews underground services, stormwater impact and sight lines. This typically takes 10 to 20 business days.
3. Once approved, council schedules a pre-pour inspection. The inspector usually wants to see the formwork up and the mesh tied off before we pour.
4. We pour to spec, with control joints and a transverse broom finish on the splay.
5. Wellington Shire does a post-pour inspection. If everything passes, the crossover is signed off and becomes a council asset.

How Sale compares to neighbouring shires

Most of our work sits in Wellington Shire, but we also pour into the neighbouring shires regularly. Quick read on how they compare.

Latrobe City (Traralgon, Morwell, Moe, Churchill)

Latrobe City has its own crossover drawing and a longer turnaround on permits (often three to four weeks). Reactive clay through the Valley means thicker edge beams are sometimes specified by the council inspector. Cost runs a bit higher than Sale for the same width.

East Gippsland Shire (Bairnsdale, Lakes Entrance, Paynesville)

East Gippsland Shire uses a slightly different splay angle and a different standard mesh spec. The permit process is straightforward but they are firm on the pre-pour inspection. Paynesville crossovers sometimes need a geo-fabric base because of sandy fill.

Baw Baw Shire (Warragul, Drouin)

We do less work over in Baw Baw Shire, but their crossover spec is broadly similar to Wellington Shire's. Permit team is responsive.

What it costs in Sale (2026)

Standard residential crossovers in Sale in 2026 sit between $1,500 and $4,500. The number moves on:

• Width. A standard 3.0m residential is at the lower end. A 6.0m rural-property entry is at the upper end.
• Kerb type. Cutting and re-laying a barrier kerb is more expensive than a roll-over kerb. Older Sale streets tend to have low barrier kerbs that need a proper saw cut.
• Existing crossover. A clean install on a vacant strip is cheaper than removing an old crossover and replacing it.
• Permit and inspection fees. Wellington Shire permit fees in 2026 are typically $200 to $500. We pay them and invoice them through.
• Services in the way. If there is a water meter, a Telstra pit or a stormwater inlet to work around, time on site goes up.

What is on us and what is on you

When we take on a crossover as part of a Sale driveway job, here is how we usually split it:

We handle: the Wellington Shire application, the site sketch, the standard drawing, the dig and disposal of any old crossover, the formwork to council profile, the reinforcement, the concrete pour, the inspection bookings, and the final sign-off.

You handle: the council permit fees (we pay them and invoice them through, so the cost goes on your final invoice with the receipt), and any private services you have under the nature strip that we did not know about.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Pouring without a Wellington Shire permit. Cheaper on day one. Expensive when the council ranger drives past and orders it ripped out.
• Asking the contractor to make the crossover wider than approved 'just a bit'. The post-pour inspection picks that up and the whole pour gets failed.
• Trying to use the crossover spec for the driveway itself. Driveways can be thinner and use less mesh because they sit on private land. Pouring the whole driveway to crossover spec costs more for the same result.
• Skipping the post-pour inspection. Without sign-off, you can have problems years later if you sell the house and the buyer's conveyancer asks for proof.

How long the whole job takes

Most Sale crossovers take a day to two days on site. The permit takes longer than the pour. From the time the Wellington Shire application goes in, expect three to five weeks before the crossover is poured and signed off. Worth knowing if you are timing it alongside a new build or a sale.

Talk to us about your Sale crossover

Most of our crossovers are tied to a driveway replacement, so we usually quote the two together. If you only need a crossover, that is fine too. Book a site visit. Nick walks the kerb, takes the measurements, and the Wellington Shire application can move forward together with the written quote.