The Act Inserted section 130B
529.New section 130B of the 1991 Act deals with the situation where the works in question are to be carried out by a roads authority. As noted in the overview, the obligation here is that the roads authority are under a duty to enter an approved reinstatement plan in the SRWR only when one has been requested by the Commissioner in relation to specific proposed works. It is envisaged that this kind of request may arise in relation to complicated works or where there has previously been an issue about the quality of reinstatement in relation to particular works.
530.Subsection (5), however, confirms that it is open to a roads authority to ask for a plan to be approved for entry into the SRWR in circumstances where they think it is appropriate to do so.
531.The matters that the Commissioner must be satisfied about before approving the plan are similar to those for other persons executing works in the road under section 130A. The differences reflect the status of a roads authority as having general responsibility for the state of the roads – ultimately if the reinstatement isn’t up to standard, it will fall to the roads authority to address any defects. Further, the question of whether a roads authority is generally competent to execute reinstatement works should not arise in the same way as it may for an undertaker. However, it is possible in given situations that the authority may not have put in place appropriate arrangements to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the reinstatement works and the test in subsection 130B(3)(a) therefore reflects that.