Have you ever been fined for leaving the bins out for too long, or putting a ‘for sale’ sign in your car window?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Even sleeping in a tent in your mates garden for more than three weeks could land you a $500 fine.
Bendigo council is in the midst of reviewing its community local law, and last week released a draft version of existing laws and potential law changes, some of which we found amusing, if a little harsh.
Bin today, gone tomorrow
Every neighborhood has one, or possibly two. Those that take forever to drag their emptied bins back to where they belong.
The cost for this tardiness?
$200 (two penalty units*)
Residents who have their bins out more than 24-hours either side of scheduled collection are liable for the penalty.
Bendigo council manager safe and healthy environments, Caroline Grylls, said the city responded to a number of complaints about bins being left on the roadside but very rarely fined individuals.
“We usually approach it from an education point of view,” she said.
Move over, Rover
It may pay to sell the old banger or the paddock bomb online.
According to the City of Greater Bendigo draft community local law 2017: “A person must not park a vehicle or goods on a road or public place as defined under Clause 1.8 of the Local Law while that vehicle displays a sign or inscription which promotes or advertises the sale of the vehicle.”
The fine?
$500 (5 penalty units)
Possibly more than some cars are worth.
Ms Grylls said council responded to complaints, generally when cars are placed in a prominent, dangerous location that caused a risk to public safety.
Penalty infringement notices were issued infrequently, she said.
Trailers, horse floats, jet skis, caravans also cannot be sold on roadsides as part of the updated law.
Camping in a tent, caravan, or otherwise, on a private residence for more than 21 days in a year without a permit is also punishable by a fine, according to local laws.
Five penalty units (or $500)
“We don't patrol looking for this,” Ms Grylls said.
“We need to make sure people have appropriate accommodation.”
This law applied to people who were living on their property while a house was being built for example, Ms Grylls said.
Beehave, there’s a fine for that
If you own or occupy a property with nest(s) of European wasps or bees – you are responsible for getting rid of them, according to the draft community local law.
“All such nests to be destroyed in such a manner that ensures that all the wasps are killed within five days of being directed to do so by an Authorised Officer,” the draft law reads.
The same goes for bees.
Those who disobey the laws, face being ‘stung’ $500 (five penalty units) and one penalty unit ($100) for each day after a conviction by any Court during which the breach continues.
The draft law has been changed slightly in relation to bees, allowing owners/occupiers to relocate the nest, if they do not wish to have it destroyed, Ms Grylls said.
Clean your yard, mate
Unsightly land occupies most of the time of the council’s local law team, Ms Grylls said.
Between 2014-16 the council responded to 225 complaints per year regarding unsightly and dangerous land.
“We work with property owners - where there is an immediate risk to health we respond very quickly,” she said.
‘Unsightly’ is determined from the road and, according to the local law, could include; stored unregistered motor vehicles; machinery or any parts thereof, scrap metal, second hand timber and or building materials, waste paper, rags, bottles, soil or similar materials and overgrown vegetation.
Some of these are existing fines but the major changes to the local law 2017 are:
- Domestic waste – Introduces the City’s Waste Services Code of Practice as a reference document, which focuses on education rather than enforcement
- Open air burning – Introduces restrictions on land greater than 1ha to control large burn offs (permits will be required)
- European wasps and bees – Nests of bees no longer need to be destroyed (wasps still need to be destroyed)
- Droving of livestock – Removes the need for a permit to drive livestock through the municipality (physically walk them on the road)
- Property numbers – Removes requirement for property numbers to be displayed (other forms of legislation provide for this)
- Sale of vehicles on roads – Additional ‘goods’ added, e.g. trailers, horse floats, jet skis, caravans also cannot be sold on roadsides
- Placement of waste skip bins – Introduces the need for a permit to place bins on road reserves and nature strips
- Third party advertising on footpaths and road reserves – Updates permit controls to limit the amount of advertising
- Designated smoke free zones – Introduces the ability for Council to designate an area or areas of the municipality a smoke-free zone
- Activities in a public place – Updates the list of prescribed activities in a public place requiring a permit. The Commercial Fitness Operators Policy becomes a reference document
- Activities in the Hargreaves Mall – Dogs must be on a lead at all times (previously prohibited from being in the Mall). Removes all references to the control of motor vehicles (vehicle movements in the Mall must adhere to the road rules)
- Updated penalty units – changes to the maximum penalty units people can be fined in a court for disobeying the Local Law
*Penalty unit rates are set by the state government and are currently valued at $100. Each council can determine how many penalty units an offence is worth.
Take the quiz below to see if you can guess how many penalty units apply to the relevant actions.
Bendigo council draft Community Local Law 2017
