VPRS 4676 Register Of Executive Council Orders Gazetted, Western District

Under the Local Government Act 1863 , road districts and shires were given recognition as being the mediums of local government with the delineation of their rights, powers, modes of proceedings and responsibilities. Roads and bridges, including main roads, within the municipality were to become the responsibility of the district or shire. District boards were to construct and maintain main roads following the issuing of an Order-in-Council and if a plan had been deposited with and approved by the Board of Land and Works. If the proper completion of the work was able to be certified, a payment would be made to the district from that portion of the consolidated revenue known as the Main Road Construction Fund.The Department of Roads and Bridges (VA 2964) and its successor agencies were the operative areas relating to the Board of Land and Works (VA 744) in relation to the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges.This series consists of a register and summary of the construction and maintenance works done on roads and bridges under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1863. Details are recorded for each municipality upon a double folio page with the lefthand side containing a summary of the Executive Council Order as published in the Government Gazette. The righthand side gives details of the rates and payments of subsidies, the length of the road made and both the cost of the road and the cost of any necessary bridges.Further details of these projects may be found in VPRS Register of Shire and District Works and in VPRS Ledger, Ballarat and Western District.