A discontinued road is a former road that has totally ceased to be a road and has been removed from the former road authority's road register and map base.
Roads may be discontinued for a number of reasons, including as as result of a road deviation. The hatched road in the image below is an example of a discontinued road.
Victoria
In Victoria Council is given the power to discontinue a road under Clause 3 of Schedule 10 of the Victorian Local Government Act 1989, which states:
A Council may, in addition to any power given to it by sections 43 and 44 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987-
(a) discontinue a road, or part of a road, by a notice published in the Government Gazette; and
(b) sell the land from that road (if it is not Crown land), transfer the land to the Crown or itself or retain the land.