Knoxfield Concrete

A suburb built in one generation

Knoxfield's story starts with a 33-hectare dairy farm bought in 1954 and a plan, announced in 1957, for about 300 homes and a shopping centre, today's Knoxfield Shops on Ferntree Gully Road. Local councillors named it after Sir George Knox, the long-serving local and state parliamentarian. The first estate was actually a smaller, low-density development by Laird Smith Estates around Kathryn Road. The Knoxfield Post Office opened in 1961. Through the 1960s came larger estates, including Carrington Park around O'Conner Road and an LJ Hooker estate around Rosehill Street.

Because so much of Knoxfield was built within a couple of decades, many streets have houses of a similar age. Their driveways, paths and patios have often reached the point where repairs or replacement make sense. That's an inference from the development history, not a survey of every street, but it's what you'd expect of concrete that's several decades old.

Houses, units and townhouses

The 2021 Census gives a clear picture of how Knoxfield has changed. Around 79% of dwellings were separate houses, but about 20% were semi-detached, terrace or townhouse dwellings, a much higher share than neighbouring Scoresby. Average household size was 2.6 people, and a little over a third of homes had four or more bedrooms.

That mix creates two distinct kinds of concreting work:

For original family homes:

• Break-out and replacement of cracked or sunken driveways. Driveway replacement →
• Resurfacing or sealing where the existing slab is sound but tired. Concrete resurfacing →
• New paths, patios and shed slabs as backyards get renovated. Outdoor living →

For unit and townhouse sites:

• Shared driveways that serve two or more dwellings, with correct falls and drainage.
• New, relocated or widened crossovers to suit the new layout. Vehicle crossovers →
• Townhouse slabs, garage floors and footings built to the engineer's design. Townhouse and multi-unit slabs →
• Footpath reinstatement where building work has damaged the public footpath. Council footpath reinstatement →

Crossovers in Knoxfield: the Knox rules that trip people up

Knoxfield is in the City of Knox, which requires a Road Opening Permit before any excavation in the road reserve, including a vehicle crossing. For unit and dual-occupancy sites in particular, a few details in Knox's new vehicle crossing guideline are worth knowing early:

• Double crossings. If a new crossing would sit within 2.4 metres of an adjoining crossing, Knox treats the pair as a double crossing. This comes up often when two dwellings on neighbouring or subdivided lots each want their own driveway.
• Boundary offset. A crossing needs to be 500 mm from the adjoining title boundary, which affects where a driveway can meet the street on narrow frontages.
• Redundant crossings. When a redevelopment moves or replaces a driveway, the old crossing is removed and the kerb reinstated at the owner's expense.
• One per property. The guideline allows one crossing per rateable property.
• Alterations need approval. Knox's separate guideline on altering or widening a crossing requires written approval.

When applying, you'll need a site plan showing street trees, pits, kerb, drains and other assets. A council officer inspects before a permit is issued. Knox says approved permits are emailed within five business days. We plan crossover work so it fits around these steps. Knox road reserve permits (council site)

Replace, resurface or repair?

Owners of 1960s and 1970s Knoxfield homes often ask whether their driveway can be saved. Our honest approach:

• If the slab is sound, with cosmetic cracks or stains, cleaning, crack filling and sealing can be enough.
• If the surface is worn but the slab isn't moving, a spray-on overlay can give it a new look.
• If sections have sunk, lifted with tree roots, or broken up, replacement is usually the better long-term answer. Addressing the cause, such as poor drainage or roots, matters as much as the new concrete.

We'll look at your driveway and tell you which of these applies before you spend anything. Concrete repairs →

Ground and site conditions

We haven't found published data on Knoxfield's soils specifically, so we won't make claims about them. Melbourne-wide research has shown that soil reactivity varies considerably, even within a single soil type. New slabs should follow a site classification, and every driveway and path needs a properly compacted base and good drainage. On older sites, we also check for old footings, tree roots and buried services before excavating.

Local landmarks

Knoxfield is known for its sporting facilities: the Knox Athletics Track, Gilbert Reserve (home of softball and baseball), the Knox Skate and BMX Park, R.D. Egan-Lee Reserve and the Carrington Park Leisure Centre. The Waterford Valley Golf Course on Bunjil Way is also here. Local shopping is at the Knoxfield Shops on Ferntree Gully Road and the Anne Road shops. Even the Bureau of Meteorology's "Scoresby" weather station is actually in Knoxfield.