Your Local Law Review
The Local Law covers a range of diverse topics from unsightly land, fire safety, animals, roadside, reserves and footpath trading to planting on nature strips and building sites.
Local Laws help to protect public health, safety and amenity throughout the municipality. They are created in consultation with the community in order to meaningfully deal with local issues and meet emerging needs.
Community engagement so far
In late 2023 we asked the community how we should draft the laws, paying particular attention to common complaints and requests we receive. We received 89 responses during this engagement.
Following this online and in-person engagement process, the Local Law 2025 was drafted. Based on community feedback in 2023, some new laws have been drafted, as well as clarification and changes to some existing laws.
The summary of proposed amendments were provided with the Draft Local Law in July and August 2024, with an online survey to ask the community if we have got it right based on the earlier consultations. This survey received 92 responses from the community, detailed in the Community responses report.
Next steps
The results from the latest survey show there are further clarifications needed around some laws, and some we can look at paring back. Between now and February 2025, we will work with the Solicitor to incorporate community feedback, to draft the final Local Law 2025. This draft will then go to Council for adoption in 2025.
The following table highlights the main amendments to the General Local Law 2025;
No. | Excerpt from Local Law | Explanation for Inclusion / Removal |
1.6 | Definitions | Old version had only 13. Now contains 32 definitions which reduce ambiguity in the use of the instrument |
2.1 | Behaviour in Municipal Places | Provides staff with powers to approach people to resolve issues raised by the community not addressed by Victoria Police |
2.2 | Consumption and Possession of Alcohol | Changes to facilitate a Local Laws Permit for alcohol on Council managed land. |
2.4 | Fireworks | Identified gap in law |
2.6 | Bulk Rubbish Containers | Previous combined with industrial and commercial waste related local law |
2.7 | Obstructions to the Safe Use of the Road | Complaint driven law that council was previously unable to respond too. |
2.8 | Commercial Waste | Currently no control over amenity impacts from commercial waste and containment prior to disposal |
2.10 | Repair of Vehicles | Inclusion of vehicle maintenance to current law |
2.11 | Sale of Motor Vehicles | New law to respond to control use of public land for sale of motor vehicles. |
2.13 | Toy Vehicles | Clarification of external regulation of drones and e-scooters |
2.15 | Shopping Trolleys | New law obliging trolley owners to maintain control over the location and use of shopping trolleys |
2.16 | Refuse on Building Sites | New law will allow Compliance Team to improve standards within building sites |
2.18 | Damaging or Interfering with Roads or Municipal Places | New law controls inappropriate use of council assets for personal use. |
2.20 | Drains and Storm Water Discharge | Issue identified within infrastructure and compliance |
2.21 | Planting on Nature Strips | Obliges compliance with Council’s Nature Strip Landscaping Policy |
3.1 | Dangerous and Unsightly Land | Expanded clauses responding to identified gaps in the current law |
3.2 | Vegetation | Responds to gaps in the current law for overhanging vegetation and obstruction of council assets |
3.3 | Dilapidated Buildings | Assists in the rectification of issues before they escalate to more complex building compliance issues. |
3.4 -3.10 | Burning in the Open Air (and associated clauses) | Provides instructions to the community on what can be burnt and when. Resolves confusion over the zoning of land and applicable law. |
3.11 | Motorised Recreation Vehicles | New law provides limits and controls for the use to motorised recreation vehicles on appropriate land. |
3.12 | Heavy Vehicles | Revised law to align with state legislation |
3.13 | Camping, Caravans, and Motorhomes | Provides clarity on when a permit is required for use of a caravan on private property. |
3.15 | Storing Machinery Materials, Goods or Vehicles on Land | New law facilitating permit triggers for secondhand trading and or recycling. |
3.16 | Shipping Containers | Clarifies requirements in relation to building and planning controls |
3.17 | Charity Collection Bins | New law triggering permit requirements for charity bins |
4.1 | Animal Keeping | Updated laws to set limits on maximum number of animals permitted without a permit. |
4.2 | Keeping Excess Animals | Improvements identified to permit system |
4.3 | Animal Housing | Revised law increases clarity of expectation on animal owners. |
4.6 | Pests, Stray Animals and Wildlife | New laws to control proliferation of animals |
4.7 | Wasps and Bees on Private Land | Expanded law for greater clarity. |
6 | Administration | Improved permit application information, process, fees and charges, conditions, amendments and exemptions |
N/A | Dogs in Public Places | Law removed entirely |
You can still ask our Local Laws team to contact you and discuss further
