Council’s local laws team have been active during the month of November sending out letters of demand to owners of vacant lots across the shire. The letter received by someone in the farm zone near Toora, states that the letter is a courtesy letter to remind the owner to maintain their property and keep the grass short.

The letter goes on to explain the property owner must slash all grass, weeds, and stubble so that it is no higher than 75mm above the ground level. The letter then references the current local law as follows:

Clause 11 of Council’s General Local Law 2014 states: “An owner or occupier of the land must not allow or permit the land to be kept in a manner which:

(a) Is unsightly or detrimental to the general amenity of the neighbourhood or;”

Clearly there is no mention of 75mm in the local law and even in the proposed draft local lemon laws Council is progressing now, the grass length proposed is suggested as 300mm.

The letter then goes on to make threats of $200 for unsightly land, failing to comply with a notice from Council $200, and ongoing contraventions may end up in the magistrate’s court.

An example of Council staff making up the rules as they go when they try to enforce an arbitrary grass length in farmland. The letter ends by stating that officers will be pro-actively inspecting properties they deem vacant land during December and people may be issued with an infringement notice.