Local Government Act 1974

Roads (other than regional roads), service lanes, and access ways - Formation, alteration, stopping, and closing of roads

329: Road gradients

You could also call this:

"Roads can't be too steep, with a maximum slope of 1 metre up for every 8 metres along."

Illustration for Local Government Act 1974

When a council builds or lays out a road, it must not be too steep. The steepness of the road is measured by how much it rises over a certain distance. You can think of it like a big hill that cars have to drive up.

If there is a district scheme for the area, the council must follow the steepness rules in that scheme. If there is no scheme, the council must follow its own rules, which are set out in a bylaw or resolution. If the council does not have any rules, the road must not be steeper than 1 metre up for every 8 metres along.

The term road in this law does not include an access way, which is a path or road that leads to a specific place, like a house or a farm.

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This page was last updated on 10 September 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM420437.

Topics:

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328: Building-line restrictions provided in district scheme, or

"Rules about where you can build on your land in a district scheme"

330: Road levels, or

"Rules about how high or low roads are built and how it affects your property"

Part 21Roads (other than regional roads), service lanes, and access ways
Formation, alteration, stopping, and closing of roads

329Road gradients

No road shall be laid out or constructed by the council, and no road or proposed road on any scheme plan shall be approved by the council, with a grade in any part of its length steeper than—
that fixed by any operative district scheme for the district; or
where there is no such district scheme or no such grade is specified in any such district scheme, that fixed by any bylaw or resolution of the council; or
1 metre in 8 metres, in any case where that grade is not fixed by any such district scheme or by any bylaw or resolution of the council.

In this section the term road does not include an access way.

Notes

Section 329: inserted, on 1 April 1979, by section 2 of the Local Government Amendment Act 1978 (1978 No 43).
Section 329(1)(b): amended, on 7 July 2004, by section 7(1) of the Local Government Act 1974 Amendment Act 2004 (2004 No 64).
Section 329(1)(c): amended, on 7 July 2004, by section 7(2) of the Local Government Act 1974 Amendment Act 2004 (2004 No 64).