Who is responsible for roads in Queensland?

Two types of road authority

Every public road in Queensland is looked after by one of two types of authority:

• State-controlled roads — major routes (highways, arterial roads, many state routes) managed by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR).
• Council (local) roads — most residential streets and local roads, managed by your local council.

Which one applies to a specific street usually isn't obvious from the name alone — the fastest way to check is to look up the address on CivicLookup.

How to report a pothole or road defect

Report defects to whichever authority controls that road:

• State-controlled roads: report via QLDTraffic (opens in new tab) or TMR's customer contact channels.
• Council roads: report directly to your local council — CivicLookup shows a direct link to your council's defect-reporting page in the results for your address.

Footpaths, drains, and other infrastructure

Footpaths, stormwater drains, street trees, and parks are typically a council responsibility even alongside a state-controlled road. If in doubt, your council's contact page (shown in your CivicLookup result) is the right place to start.

Not sure which authority applies to you?

Search your address on CivicLookup to see your road authority, local council, state MP, and federal MP in one result. See our methodology page for how road authority matches are determined and their accuracy limitations.