Standard engineering drawings

Standard engineering drawings

The Local Government Association of Tasmania publishes two sets of documents for works on public assets or to create new public assets (roads, footpaths, stormwater infrastructure and others):

  • the Tasmanian Development Manual is for use in a subdivision context.
  • the Tasmanian Municipal Standard – Specifications along with the Tasmanian Municipal Standard – Drawings (which are to be read together) are for works outside the subdivision context.

Both sets of documents can be accessed from the Local Government Association of Tasmania website.

The City of Hobart expects that all drawings and specifications for public assets will meet these standards. There are some departures from the standard drawings which are required by the City. View the City of Hobart Departures from LGAT Standard Drawings(PDF, 696KB).

Rather than providing strict prescriptive requirements, the drawings only provide the minimum requirements. The intention of the standard drawings is that they are integrated into the design at hand. This allows greater flexibility to meet site-specific requirements. The designer will remain fully responsible for all aspects of their design and to ensure that designs comply with all the relevant Australian Standards and other regulations.

Road design should also be in accordance with Austroads guidelines.

Drawings

Design drawings for road geometry and drainage are available directly from the IPWEA website. Please read their advice before you use the drawings.

View the City of Hobart Departures from LGAT Standard Drawings(PDF, 696KB).

Specifications

Three specifications are included in the Tasmanian Councils' Standards for Subdivisions.

You can also access and print the Department of State Growth's Roadworks Specifications from the Transport Services' contractor and industry information webpage.

Signs

Signs located over the highway reservation must have minimum clearances as follows:

  • 2.4 metres from the underside vertically above footpath level
  • 0.6 metres from its outer edge horizontally behind face of kerbline.

It is possible that you will need planning approvals for any new or altered signs. Please check with our Duty Planner on 03 6238 2711.

Condition of use

The specifications and drawings were prepared to assist in the design and construction of municipal road and hydraulic infrastructure. The documents are designed to be used in conjunction with each other and under the supervision of City of Hobart officers who are trained and experienced in their application. We do not consider the documents suitable for use for any other purpose.

If you use these documents for any purpose that is not consistent with the above (including, without limitation, for carrying out any investigations, design, construction, engineering, maintenance or other work), you do so at your own risk.

The drawings only provide the minimum requirements. It is the responsibility of the designer to ensure that designs comply with all the relevant Australian Standards and other regulations.

It is the responsibility of the designer and the developer to ensure that safe construction methods are used and that the construction work complies with the approved design drawings and all the relevant standards and regulations.

Private underground electrical connections (PUECs)

A private underground electrical connection (PUEC) refers to a privately owned underground power cable that runs from a TasNetworks power pole, located within the road reservation to the boundary of a private property for the purpose of supplying electricity to the property. TasNetworks also refers to PUECs as 'consumer mains'.

Following a Council resolution on 27 April 2026, the City of Hobart may now issue approvals to residents (or their agents) to allow excavation within road reservations to facilitate the installation of a PUEC, subject to conditions.

Conditions of approval

  • Maximum length: The PUEC length must be no greater than 2 m (within the zone of support for the power pole, where risk would be apparent to a reasonable person undertaking excavations and additional care would be taken during excavation).
  • Alignment: The PUEC must be installed in a straight line from the pole to the property boundary, without horizontal deviation.
  • Depth: The PUEC must be installed to a prescribed depth (TBC).
  • Who can install: Installation must be carried out by a licensed electrician who holds a Permit to Carry out Works on a Highway issued by the City of Hobart.
  • On-site record (meter box): A laminated plan detailing the location and ownership of the installation must be affixed to the inside or beside the meter box on the property.
  • Notify TasNetworks: A plan showing the location of the PUEC along with photographs of the open excavation showing the conduit and warning tape installation, must be sent to TasNetworks within 2 working days of completion of the works.
  • Warning plaques: A warning plaque (design to be confirmed) must be affixed to the power pole and either the fence at the property boundary or a yellow painted post at the boundary above where the cable crosses the boundary.

Staff, in consultation with TasNetworks, are currently developing processes to support this change. Once this process is in place, this information page will be updated.

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