Section 50 Consent

The Section 50 Consent from the Office of Public Works (OPW) is required for constructing, altering, or replacing bridges and culverts over watercourses.

Bridges must provide a 300mm freeboard between the crown level and the 1% AEP MRFS flood event. Culverts are not allowed to have more than 300mm of hydraulic loss through the structure. There is a common misconception that the 300mm freeboard requirement also applies to culverts.

We can prepare the necessary report and application to obtain this consent on your behalf.