Council adopted its new Local Law (No.1 Neighbourhood Amenity 2022) at the July Council Meeting.

Our previous Local Law was required to undergo a review, which allowed us to make some significant improvements to make it a more streamlined document and to ensure it doesn’t duplicate other legislation. The development of the new Local Law has been based on significant feedback received from the community, Council Officers and Councillors.

The Local Law covers a range of diverse topics, from unsightly land, roadside and footpath trading to planting on nature strips and management of building sites. It empowers Council to respond to local issues and to protect public and private spaces, as well as the community’s health and safety.

The new Local Law includes new clauses as well as amendments to some of the existing provisions.

Some of the key changes in the new Local Law are the inclusion of Short Stay Accommodation Registration and the Significant Tree Register.

Over the next six months, Council Officers will develop the registration process for short term accommodation. They will also develop processes for the Significant Tree Register, to determine how the register will be formed and the different stakeholders who will be involved in the project. These significant additions to the Local Law will not be enforced until 1 January 2023.

To view the Local Law, download the adopted document, pick up a copy from any of Council’s Customer Service Centres or request a copy in the post by calling 1300 BCOAST (226 278) or (03) 5671 2211.

We would like to thank the community for their involvement throughout the consultation process and we look forward to implementing these changes within the Municipality.