Does your event affect the normal use of a road or footpath? You’ll need a traffic management plan drawn up by a qualified traffic controller and a few other things, too.

Not sure if you require a Traffic Management Plan (TMP)? Think about the safety of your event, and those attending the event. Will you have activities on the road, such as food trucks, or be restricting parking in the event area? Then the answer is ‘yes’.

In 2021, the DCC’s process for approving road closures for events was changed to meet our statutory requirements under the Local Government Act. All road closures for events (including car rallies) must now be approved at a full Council meeting.

This requirement means that event organisers must submit their TMP to DCC Transport, via their chosen traffic management contractor, no later than three months prior to their proposed road closure date. You’ll need to supply the TMP, a copy of the signed affected parties consent form, or copies of correspondence to affected parties.

The road closure will be publicly advertised by DCC Transport prior to the Council meeting, allowing time for any objections against the closure to be lodged. A report is then provided to the full Council meeting for approval.

At the time of preparing your TMP alongside your traffic management contractor, it’s a good idea to think about postponement dates and include this in your TMP – we all know Dunedin weather is unpredictable! Having a postponement date approved at the Council meeting allows flexibility if you need to make a late change.

For those events that don’t involve closing a road, but still alter how the road operates normally, e.g., reducing the speed, approval at a Council meeting is not required. A TMP must still be submitted to DCC Transport six weeks prior to the event date.

For more information or advice on traffic management for your event, please email the Events team at events@dcc.govt.nz