Local Laws Review

Local Law regulates temporary signs on public and private land, and permanent signs on public land.

More than 40 signs are listed in the Local Law.

Some are “self-assessable” (they can be displayed without making an application) subject to prescribed conditions, e.g. garage sale signs for which only one can be displayed on a footway on the day of the sale.

Others are “licensable” (there is an application and approval process), e.g. billboards and bus shelter advertisements.

Read more: Advertising devices and signs Local Law extract.

Local Law regulates Council aerodromes. It regulates use of vehicles and aircraft at the aerodrome, parking and hazard prevention. It also provides for activities that are prohibited and/or restricted at Council aerodromes.

For example:

• you must only park vehicles and aircraft in permitted parking areas
• you must undertake certain activities in areas designated for those activities (i.e. departures, landings, servicing, parking, etc)
• you must not bring animals onto the aerodrome.

Read more: Aerodrome Local Law extract.

Local Law sets out requirements for animal enclosures, how animals must be controlled in public places, and when certain animals can be declared dangerous.

Local Law also sets out what Council can do if you don’t comply.

For example, under the local law:

• you must clean up your animal’s faeces in a public place
• animals must be contained in a proper enclosure
• if there are koalas on your land, you must keep your dog tethered in its enclosure between sunset and sunrise
• you must not allow your animal to cause a nuisance
• it is an offence for your animal to attack or cause fear to another person or animal.

Local Law also enables Council to set up dog off leash areas in the region.

Read more: Animal control Local Law extract.

Local Law sets out what kind of animals and how many animals you can keep, which animals need to be registered and what Council can do if you don’t comply with the Local Law.

For example, under the Local Law:

• you can only have one dog per dwelling in a multi-unit complex
• if you live on an allotment greater than 301m² but less than 599m² you can only have a second dog if you obtain approval from Council
• you can keep a rooster on an allotment greater than 6,000m²
• you cannot keep a duck, sheep or goat on land less than 3,000m².

Read more: Animal keeping Local Law extract.

Local Law sets out what you can and can’t do within a red and yellow flagged beach (bathing reserve). For instance, you can’t bring prohibited aquatic equipment (e.g. kayaks or fishing equipment) within a bathing reserve.

Local Law also regulates what conduct is acceptable within a bathing reserve. Particularly, a person must not do anything that creates a risk to the safety of others.

For public safety, authorised persons have the power to:

• remove or reduce danger
• stop dangerous or anti-social conduct
• require bathers to leave the water
• seize and detain prohibited equipment.

Read more: Bathing reserves Local Law extract.

Local Law regulates camping within our region, limiting it to where it is within a camping ground or caravan park, authorised by an approval or permitted by a sign.

Read more: Camping Local Law extract.

Local Law regulates caravan parks and camping grounds. You must obtain an approval from Council before you can operate a commercial caravan park and camping ground.

Local Law sets out the approval process, including documents that must accompany applications, criteria for granting applications and conditions to be imposed on an approval (e.g. maintain toilets and showers, keep area clean and sanitary, maintain adequate water supply and maintain a register of each person who hires a site).

Read more: Caravan parks and camping grounds Local Law extract.

Under Local Law you must obtain approval to carry out works or make alterations or improvements to Council controlled land and roads.

Local Law sets out the approval process, including documents required to support applications, the criteria for granting applications and conditions imposed on approvals (e.g. public liability insurance, maintenance and rectification responsibilities, safety requirements and traffic management).

Read more: Carrying out works on a road or interfering with a road or its operation Local Law extract.

Local Law regulates disturbance, burials and disposals of human remains, as well as memorialisation at Council cemeteries.

It also regulates disturbance, burials and disposals outside a cemetery, and approvals required to operate a cemetery.

For example:

• you must apply for approval to have a loved one buried, or their ashes kept at a Council cemetery
• burial rights are obtained over a plot once a burial application is approved
• you must obtain approval for any memorialisation at a loved one’s gravesite if it is larger than the headstone
• you must obtain approval for a burial outside of a cemetery (i.e. on private land - please note however approval is not required for scattering ashes).

Read more: Cemeteries Local Law extract.

Local Law does not directly regulate community gardens or road verge gardens (gardens in the road reserve at the front of residential properties).

Interested groups can apply to Council to establish and operate a community garden on council land. This occurs by means of a lease with Council.

Individuals can plant gardens in the road reserve (road verge gardens) at the front of their properties, if they follow Council’s guidelines and the garden does not cause a safety hazard for drivers or pedestrians.