VPRS 10432 Correspondence Re Engineering Plans

Under the provisions of the Local Government Act, Councils were to manage roads and other such facilities within the municipality and had the power to improve and maintain them (Div 6). Similarly, Councils had the power to regulate subdivisions of land within the municipality with plans having to be referred to the engineer or surveyor to determine whether requirements for the levels and layouts of streets and drainage had been met by the plan. Within the area of Melbourne defined as under the control of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works reference had to be made to the Board for a report on whether the area could be efficiently sewered (Div 10).Section 590 of the Act provided that councils could improve footpaths in streets and recover half of the cost of this from property owners with a complete accounting of costs having to be sent to owners.Correspondence in this series is concerned with street construction, the provision of drainage works and proposed subdivisions with each project being given a separate file. Street construction and making files may contain a petition from residents for works on the street, cards which set out the full costs of the project both estimated and actual and the apportionment of costs among residents. Files from the 1920s may contain the contract made between Council and the contractor for the carrying out of the work. Correspondence related to drainage works is similarly organised.Correspondence to do with subdivisions contains a copy of the plan of the proposed subdivision, correspondence with Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works regarding sewerage and drainage provision as well as the engineers assessment of the plan.