Property maintenance
Property owners and residents are responsible for the upkeep of their property. Fines can be issued if local laws and regulations are not met.
Nature strips
Parking cars, trailers, boats or other vehicles on nature strips or reserves is not permitted. Park within your property or on the road against the curb.
Property owners are required to mow the nature strip in front of their property.
Residents are encouraged to water any newly planted street trees in accordance with any water restrictions. Mature, drought-tolerant trees should not require additional water except in times of extreme drought. In such cases, residents are advised to use grey water.
Read more about planting on nature strips and trees on Council land.
Street numbering
Owners have a legal requirement to clearly display the street number on their property. Emergency services such as the police, fire brigade and ambulance all rely on residential properties having clearly visible street numbers.
Council is responsible for the allocation of street numbering. This allocation is administered by Council's Revenue Office in line with the Australia and New Zealand rural and urban addressing standard.
If you have any issues with street numbers, please contact us to report the concern.
Overhanging trees and branches
Residents must ensure the boundaries of their property remain clear of obstructions, and that overhanging tree branches are no lower than 2.4 metres. Council can issue notices to property owners requesting the removal of obstructions near footpaths, and may issue a fine if a request is not actioned.
Read the Obstruction from private property fact sheet(PDF, 288KB).
To report overhanging foliage or obstacles on the footpath contact Customer Service at the bottom of this page.
Unsightly premises and building materials
Property owners are required to keep their land free of any items that may be deemed unsightly or detrimental to the amenity of the neighbourhood.
Roads and footpaths should be kept free of mud, dirt, sand and other materials at all times. All building materials should be kept on your property.
Fire safety
Burning off, incinerators and cooking
All residents are prohibited from burning household waste, lighting incinerators or burning in the open air in the City of Darebin. To promote a cleaner environment, an on-the-spot fine of $200 may be issued to anyone found breaking this law.
Fires may only be lit outdoors for cooking food, and you need to advise your neighbours and Council prior to cooking food outdoors.
For complaints or concerns about smoke caused by indoor heating or cooking, contact our Customer Service Centre on 03 8470 8888.
Fire hazards and fire prevention notices
Property owners are responsible for maintaining their property. To prevent fire outbreaks, you must keep your property free of long grass and other combustible materials.
Local laws officers patrol all properties during fire hazard season, which is generally from October to March. When a property is identified as a fire hazard, a fire prevention notice is issued to the owners of the property, giving them 14 days to clear the hazard. There are no extensions on fire prevention notices.
After a fire prevention notice expires, local laws officers will re-inspect the property. If it is still deemed a fire hazard, Council will clear the hazard and pass on all cleanup charges to the owner. In addition to the hazard removal cost, an infringement fee is issued to the property owners for failing to comply with the fire prevention notice. If the property has more than one owner, an infringement fee is sent to each person.
Properties issued with a Fire Prevention Notice in the previous year will automatically be checked again by us to ensure the property is safe. Fire Prevention Notices are not issued during winter.
Further information is available from Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).
Total fire bans
It is illegal to have an outdoor fire of any kind during Total Fire Ban days. Ask your local fire brigade for more information about declared Total Fire Ban days. To report an incident of breaking Total Fire Ban, call 03 8470 8888.
Further information
Customer Service
Phone: 03 8470 8888
Email: mailbox@darebin.vic.gov.au