Common boundary fences
Wanting to build or repair a fence between your property and one of the Council's parks or reserves? Good news, if you meet the requirements, we may pay up to half the cost.
For us to consider your application we need to see your Certificate of Title. If it contains a Fencing Agreement in Deed or Fencing Covenant this means we are not responsible for the cost of erecting, maintaining or repairing a fence.
If your certificate does not contain this covenant and you want us to share the costs of a fence, please fill in the notice of intent to erect or repair a common boundary fence and return it to our parks and reserves team. The form has details of how you get it back to us.
Notice of intent to erect or repair a common boundary fence(PDF, 116KB)
If we oppose any part of your proposal, we will reply within 21 working days of getting your notice. If you do not receive a reply within this time you have the right to go ahead with the work and we will have to pay half the cost.
Work needs to be completed within 90 days of the date given in your notice for starting work. After this period all arrangements will lapse. Any fence erected between private and Council land needs to meet the specifications outlined below, and be maintained in good condition.
The requirements your new fence needs to meet
To ensure new fences are well built, reasonably priced, and can be easily maintained, we will generally support your proposal if it meets the requirements set out below. Typically the Council will not paint our side of the fence, but if it is painted, the colour on the reserve side will be confirmed by the Parks & Reserves Manager.
Paling fence
- Between 1m high and 1.8m high, posts 100 x 75mm and placed no more than 2.75 metres apart
- Upright timber palings well nailed to 2-3 rails with a gap of no more than 40mm between palings
- All rails and palings should be tanalised and ground posts treated
- Concrete mowing strip of at least 125mm parallel to the central line of the fence. (This strip should be at least 150mm wide from point directly beneath the outermost face of the fence on the side towards the Council land).
Close-boarded fence
- Same conditions as for a paling fence, but with no gap between the boards.
Other types of fences
We may agree to your proposal for another type of fence as long as it fits in with the sort of park you live by. We will not agree to hedges or any form of living fences due to ongoing costs to ratepayers associated with the maintenance and upkeep of our side. In any case we will only pay half the cost of the standard fence type which is closest to the one you build.
Information about installing a pedestrian gate
You may be able to install a pedestrian gate but please note, Council doesn't contribute towards the cost of the gate.
If you're planning to install a gate, please include the information in the notice of approval, noting the requirements below:
- The gate should be for foot traffic only
- no more than 1 metre wide
- it must open away from the reserve.
This is because we don't want public vehicles accessing our reserves.
We encourage you to lock the pedestrian gate on your side of the property, for security.