Definition of "gazetted roads" ?

It seems you really have to find out what are regarded as the "official road maps and street directories" to get your answer. It's all a bit of a joke anyway. If you were to stay at somewhere like Willow Springs in the Flinders, do the terms mean you have to park the car at the front gate and walk the kilometres to the homestead campground? The track in may not be classed as a "gazetted road". If you can drive the track in, then why can't you drive the other station tracks, Skytrek maybe? Everything is so vague they can interpret it to suit themselves if push comes to shove.

It seems to me you got an answer to your question.
I would put trip intentions in writing and get it OKed when you pick up the vehicle.

The Gary Junction Rd goes under various names, or parts of it do. Eg. Kintore Rd., Desert Rd.

Google maps has thousands of roads that don't exist.

Google maps. And thousands that exists but are not gazetted.

Hi Candace...

The question has implications for everyone, not just in terms of hire car agreements.

A gazetted road is more or less exactly as Apollo has described in its “Terms and Conditions” – my understanding is that in NSW (at least), under the Roads Act (1993) gazetted roads are those that appear on official maps and considered to be a public thoroughfare.

It is the “considered to be a public thoroughfare” that has implications for all.

Especially if it passes through private land and the landowner has approval to restrict access despite it appearing on official maps.

Most insurance policies have a clause that say you are covered “anywhere you are legally entitled to be”. So you need to make sure the “gazetted road or track” you are travelling on is, or remains a public thoroughfare, otherwise you could (potentially) compromise an insurance payout in the case of an accident if you didn’t have approval to drive on that road.

To your point in regard to Apollo’s terms and conditions, my view is that it already clearly states a definition of a “gazetted road”.

By asking for further clarification you are diluting the definition as now the company is saying you need an additional approval to travel the roads you have highlighted. You effectively impose an additional requirement by seeking that clarification. All you need to do is make sure the road appears on official road maps in order to be compliant with its terms and conditions.

But clearly, there is still a need (and obligation) by all to make sure you can legally access the road you are travelling on. If in doubt you should contact the local authority in the area covered by the road to check if it is, or remains, a public thoroughfare.

Enjoy your travels…

Cheers, Baz – The Landy

A gazetted road is exactly that a road that has been listed in the Gazette as a public road - its condition or type is almost irrelevant - east coast beach of Fraser Island is a gazetted road.

"Gazetted roads are roads that appear on official road maps and street directories". This statement is not quite true - Gazetted and other roads may appear on official road maps etc but that is not the criteria - the road needs to be listed in the relevant Government Gazette to be Gazetted - one should not assume because it is on a map it is Gazetted but is probably a good bet. Likewise the east beach of Fraser is not shown on most maps as a road (there may be a note though) where it is a Gazetted road.

Gazette notices contain a range of information about legislation, including proclamations and notices of government departments and Courts, and other notices. Notices for publication are lodged for publication by government departments and agencies, as well as by private individuals, when required under Australian Governments' legislation.

So look in the Gazette to find out if a road is Gazetted - hmmm good luck with that :-)

Hi Candace,
Here is a digital map of the gazetted roads in WA.
Check the box "Heirachy"
HERE
Cheers
Alan

PS: Some Station Owners would not like this map

I can't speak for other States, because each State has different legislation, regulations, and other ordinances, covering their definitions of "roads."

However, the link below contains the definitive description of what constitutes a "road" in W.A.

It is a veritable minefield, the description of a "public" or "gazetted" road.

Remember that roads can be surveyed and gazetted - but they can also be closed - whereby the road closure is also published in the Govt Gazette.

Gazetted roads can be closed via an application from an adjacent landowner, or a Shire council, due to a number of reasons - the most common being a lack of use, by a road re-alignment, or by the landowner wanting to limit unnecessary movement through his/her property/properties, via a redundant thoroughfare.

W.A. State Land brochure - creation of a road. (PDF file download)

Be aware that when the W.A. State Govt finally makes a settlement with the Noongar Boodja Trust (expected to be early 2019), all Unallocated Crown Land and unmanaged Reserves in the S.W. of W.A., will then become Aboriginal (Noongar) Lands.

I have little doubt that Aboriginal Lands permits will then be required for whites to access these areas.

Cheers, Ron.

I have encountered these problems of what is a gazzetted road. Some prob[em lays when the land goes from freehold to leasehold, and then all tracks within this/these properties become private tracks. I have in the past and still do, ring these properties for access stating my purpose and the route I wish to take. In most cases permission is granted, and alternative directions may be given due to stock movements etc. I recently travelled on private tracks with permission and was thanked for doing the right thing by asking first. I stated an approx date, and was given the station frequency to monitor once on the two properties. This station has done this due to an accident when and unauthorised vechile entered the property and had a head on with one of the staff on a motorbike going over a crest. Some station ownesr are now beginning to get these tracks deleted off the maps all together which will make things even harder to travel, or are letting these tracks be over grown and making new tracks that don't show on a map leading you to where ever (a serious risk to take if you do not know where it ends).