Unused Road Licenesing

[MG5150]

G'day Gents

In the recent fallow rutt I mapped out a few spots to explore ahead of time on google maps/more to explore app, but when I went to access the spots I found they were on the other side of some private land and couldn't access them. (very frustrating as when I arrived at the first one a fallow buck ran across the 20m of private late and into the public land right infront of me.

I came across a video where a hiker talks about 'unused road licenses' or 'paper roads' allowing public access along the sites that have been left for roads to be potentially built on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSjyd3ml304

I've since found a few in the areas that I hunt and using them would provide access to some areas I previously couldn't get to without walking a long way around.

Does anyone else use these roads or have experience with them? Thought I'd check the legality before walking along one with a gun.

[Billo]

if you're referring to a right of way Id be careful about carrying a loaded firearm on private property. Not sure what the regs are in Vic

[bladeracer]

if you're referring to a right of way Id be careful about carrying a loaded firearm on private property. Not sure what the regs are in Vic

In Victoria, if it is privately-owned property you can only have a firearm while making a direct route to the property owner to ask permission to shoot there.

[womble]

You do find animals in these pockets. Usually just goats. But I’m never certain if someone owns them or not.
And generally if they don’t want public access there will be signs.

Sometimes the signs are a bit creepy and look like they were written in blood actually.

And one time, though it was in NSW, I saw animal skulls hanging from trees along the road.
I turned around and went back.

[Die Judicii]

Ahh yes,,,, RIGHT OF WAY,,
And also known by another name,,,, "Prescribed Road".

However,, that "paper road" exists on paper and quite often there is ZERO work ever been done physically to prepare or form the road itself.
And as is quite often the case the neighboring or adjacent land owner can legally enclose that strip of land with their boundary fence.

Occasionally such a piece of land will be picked up by your GPS as your driving along the highway,
ie: the gps says you can turn right or left,,,,,, but there is no road there and only the farm fence.

I know personally that it can be used by a landowner legally because my stepfather had such a road bisecting his property.
I think he used to pay rates on that strip of land that enabled him to do so legally,, even tho he didn't actually own the strip.

[Shootermick]

Ahh yes,,,, RIGHT OF WAY,,
And also known by another name (which evades me right at this moment)

However,, that "paper road" exists on paper and quite often there is ZERO work ever been done physically to prepare or form the road itself.
And as is quite often the case the neighboring or adjacent land owner can legally enclose that strip of land with their boundary fence.

Occasionally such a piece of land will be picked up by your GPS as your driving along the highway,
ie: the gps says you can turn right or left,,,,,, but there is no road there and only the farm fence.

I know personally that it can be used by a landowner legally because my stepfather had such a road bisecting his property.
I think he used to pay rates on that strip of land that enabled him to do so legally,, even tho he didn't actually own the strip.

It works that way down here in Vic. I’ve got surveyed but unused, possibly never used roads on my farm. We hold a 99 year lease on them, which is pretty common around here.
I’d personally stay off them, as they are basically private land, probably not worth the hassle of being caught on one.

[Die Judicii]

You do find animals in these pockets. Usually just goats. But I’m never certain if someone owns them or not.
And generally if they don’t want public access there will be signs.

Sometimes the signs are a bit creepy and look like they were written in blood actually.

And one time, though it was in NSW, I saw animal skulls hanging from trees along the road.
I turned around and went back.

Absolutely NO sense of adventure.

[MG5150]

most of the roads only appear to be a few meters wide on the maps

[No1Mk3]

most of the roads only appear to be a few meters wide on the maps

Single lane road minimum in Vic is 3.5m, most unused road reserves will be that. If you traverse one to access Crown Land Reserve treat it as any other public place and unload your firearm, including any detachable magazine you may have.

[womble]

You do find animals in these pockets. Usually just goats. But I’m never certain if someone owns them or not.
And generally if they don’t want public access there will be signs.

Sometimes the signs are a bit creepy and look like they were written in blood actually.

And one time, though it was in NSW, I saw animal skulls hanging from trees along the road.
I turned around and went back.

Absolutely NO sense of adventure.

There are parts of hinterland NSW where you really don’t want to be an unwelcome visitor. Drug crops.
Even in eastern Victoria you do need to be wary sometimes. I’ve had encounters that were a bit worrying.
And you should keep your uhf on because you can gather information about who’s around and what they’re up to.

About a year ago i came across a large group of blokes in state forest. Maybe 30 or so, using an old fridge for target practice. And all were dressed in military fatigues.
I don’t need to know what that’s about. I see nothing. I know nothing.

Down this way you always assume others are around no matter how remote, because they are.
Mostly for legitimate reasons, but not always.

[MG5150]

most of the roads only appear to be a few meters wide on the maps

Single lane road minimum in Vic is 3.5m, most unused road reserves will be that. If you traverse one to access Crown Land Reserve treat it as any other public place and unload your firearm, including any detachable magazine you may have.

Thanks.

[MG5150]

I inquired with DEECA and got a reply confirming public access is permitted, provided there are no breaches of the Land Act.

I'm following up with the local copper to get his interpretation as he'll likely be the one who has to deal with the phone call.

[Oldbloke]

Great. There are actually a fair few areas you can hunt, but farmers put locked gates across the access.

[fussy]

You do find animals in these pockets. Usually just goats. But I’m never certain if someone owns them or not.
And generally if they don’t want public access there will be signs.

Sometimes the signs are a bit creepy and look like they were written in blood actually.

And one time, though it was in NSW, I saw animal skulls hanging from trees along the road.
I turned around and went back.

Absolutely NO sense of adventure.

Yeah, but these were HUMAN skulls.....

[Jorlcrin]

[Outback QLD, so your mileage might vary..We dont have options for shooting on public land at all, so somewhat different]

Many rural properties around here are comprised of a number of individual blocks, that have been amalgamated over time into a single property.
It seems that for each of those individual blocks, there needs to be a road easement, in the event that land parcel is sold off on it's own.
As a result, we have a number of 'Phantom Access Roads' that enter our property, that Google identifies as being a road, but they arent formed up, and nor are they used for access to anywhere useful to the public.
Most of them would be 3-5 chains wide(~60-100 metres).
But we occasionally have people try to use them, despite the roads usually not going anywhere.

If the landholder is running any sort of Primary Production business, there is a list of government bodies that demand we control access to our land.
Farm Biosecurity, MLA Compliance, ClipCare, Public Liability Insurance, etc etc etc.

In the case of access roads, IF it's deemed necessary to fence the sides of the road off from the public, the cost will fall solely to the landholder; the state wont contribute a cent.
As a result, many of those phantom roads in this area, have been fenced into the adjacent land; it's the least-painful method of compliance.

I'm not saying this is what's going on in Victoria, but is it possible something similar has happened to cause the roads be fenced off?