14 February 2012

Building a new fence in Canberra?

| Known_only_as_Jack
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Good Day All,

I am going to put a 6ft fence up across the front of my property. Do I need approvals? If so, from whom?

Thanks in advance

Jack

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This reminds me of a yucky looking place in Isabella Plains. It has a pool fence around the entire front of the property, facing the street. It looks atrocious. I can’t see how it got approved.

Known_only_as_Jack said :

Thank you for the insight JC. We are on a corner block – so the fence was going along the side and then the front. I can adjust the plans to make an enclosed area at the side – just won’t be as large as I wanted.

buzz819 said :

You should have said that in the first place, as the rules are different. A fence is allowed on the side that is not considered to be the main frontage. If you do a google for “ACT fence side frontage” you should find the rules.

Actually talk to Planning. I think that there might be concessions for front courtyards and, in some suburbs, for corner blocks. Also, #4Thumper is right, although in many suburbs most people put up their (unapproved?) wire fence immediately (and no one seems to make them take it down). It looks good eventually and it’s probably under the pretense that it gives a good line for keeping the hedge trimmed and keeps the hedge back from the footpath.

buzz819 said :

AG Canberra said :

Won’t get approved. Front fences in Canberra are not permitted. Hedges and low man made features are permitted….

We don’t want the place looking like Alice Springs or Perth do we?

Or people actually doing what they want when they spend over half a million dollars on their own property…

Absolutely. Spending that amount of money gives you the right to say “f*** you” to everyone else.

Known_only_as_Jack6:50 pm 14 Feb 12

AG Canberra said :

Won’t get approved. Front fences in Canberra are not permitted. Hedges and low man made features are permitted….

Not the answer that I was after – but what I needed to hear. We will probably look at a low planter box with screening plants. As Thumper suggests

JC said :

side boundary then yes you can have one without development and building approval

Thank you for the insight JC. We are on a corner block – so the fence was going along the side and then the front. I can adjust the plans to make an enclosed area at the side – just won’t be as large as I wanted.

buzz819 said :

Or people actually doing what they want when they spend over half a million dollars on their own property…

I think that the Gov has tricked us all into thinking that – we are all on a very long lease. This is the only way that you can explain the rates going up so dramatically.

AG Canberra said :

Won’t get approved. Front fences in Canberra are not permitted. Hedges and low man made features are permitted….

We don’t want the place looking like Alice Springs or Perth do we?

Or people actually doing what they want when they spend over half a million dollars on their own property…

Are you talking about a front fence that goes right across the front of your property or one that is parallel to the road but goes from the side of your house to the side fence?

Before anyone shit cans me for asking, I have heard of both these types of fence called a front fence, in Canberra one is allowed (from house to side), but a true front fence right across isn’t generally allowed.

So if the type you are talking about is from the house to the side boundary then yes you can have one without development and building approval provided it complies with the rules, which can be found here:

http://www.actpla.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/13693/Fences.pdf

http://www.actpla.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/13693/Fences.pdf

Won’t get approved. Front fences in Canberra are not permitted. Hedges and low man made features are permitted….

We don’t want the place looking like Alice Springs or Perth do we?

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