Neighbours Building Flower Beds - How Close to Property Lines is Allowed?

[Deactivated] on 01/11/2023 - 13:41
Last edited 01/11/2023 - 13:45

Does anyone know whether councils typically have rules around the building of new flower beds on an established lawn in relation to how close they can be to property lines?

My parents had new neighbours move in earlier this year who have been decidedly un-neighbourly thus far - they commenced a DIY build of a shed & BBQ without advising their respective neighbours. They were subsequently served with an order from the local council to demolish the half-built structures as they were positioned too close to each neighbours' property lines.

Now, they're undertaking DIY landscaping of their front yard on both sides where plastic sheeting was recently laid down that went over each of the neighbours properties. No communication with either neighbour and the guy doing the work doesn't understand English so a bit frustrating for my parents and the other neighbour to sort out.

Just wondering if anyone here has had experience with council landscaping codes in the above scenario.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • Some Human on 01/11/2023 - 13:46
    +75

    Does it matter? It's their yard.

    • [Deactivated] on 01/11/2023 - 13:53
      +4

      They have to allow for adequate drainage and also have blocked access to mowing along the fence line as they've positioned the plants right up alongside the fences so it impacts their neighbours.

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 01/11/2023 - 13:58
        +26

        sounds like an invitation to 'accidentally' mow the plants :)

        • [Deactivated] on 01/11/2023 - 14:08
          +3

          They've placed polystyrene boxes against the fence so my Dad cannot even use the whipper-snipper without shredding the boxes and the grass is now so overgrown.

          • EightImmortals on 01/11/2023 - 14:46
            +12

            @[Deactivated]: Classy. Got pics?

          • redforever on 01/11/2023 - 14:49

            @[Deactivated]: Fence or fence line?

            • [Deactivated] on 01/11/2023 - 14:52

              @redforever: It's all fenced so hopefully it's fenced on the boundary line - the alternative, would be a headache and then some.

          • Some Human on 01/11/2023 - 15:13
            +17

            @[Deactivated]:

            my Dad cannot even use the whipper-snipper without shredding the boxes

            That's their problem.

            • Jimothy Wongingtons on 01/11/2023 - 15:34
              +9

              @Some Human: polystyrene is going to absolutely get ******* everywhere though not just @ neighbours side, and sticks like an mf to everything…

          • AndyC1 on 01/11/2023 - 20:23
            +5

            @[Deactivated]: Shred the boxes.

            • [Deactivated] on 01/11/2023 - 20:31
              +1

              @AndyC1: lol - don't tempt me because I so would!

              My husband asked me earlier if it cannot wait until this w/e when he can come with me as he knows I'm displeased to the max at having to deal with this crap.

          • SlickMick on 02/11/2023 - 09:45

            @[Deactivated]: sounds like those boxes won't last long. They won't hurt the whipper-snipper.

          • Hangryuman on 02/11/2023 - 13:04
            +9

            @[Deactivated]: doesn't make sense - you have a fence, but your whipper-snipper would shred the neighbour's boxes ?

          • [Deactivated] on 03/11/2023 - 03:50
            +3

            @[Deactivated]: I'd probably cut up some old fencing metal sheets, wooden sleepers, bricks, cement sheet, or whatever else facebook marketplace turns up. Dig them in or if the ground is soft hammer them in to close the gap under the fence. Then he can trim against the vertical surface and use weed killer occasionally on any grass runners that come through any gaps by turning the nozzle on one of these 180 degrees to face upwards: https://www.bunnings.com.au/aqua-systems-5l-garden-pressure-…. Make his own weedkiller using dish detergent, white vinegar, and salt. (Look up "make your own weed killer" on youtube.) He'd get the best result by using sheetmetal with the same zigzag profile that fits exactly in the original sheets so no grass can get through. i.e. The bottom is an inch into the dirt, the top is wedge hard into the original sheet profiles. He could paint them a similar colour to the fence sheets so it's not as noticeable. If they move out later he can easily pull them all out again by drilling a hole at the top, feeding a rope through, tying a knot on the other side, tying a loop on his side which goes over a shovel handle, jam the shovel into the dirt, then lever backwards to pull them free. If using something like bricks use a trenching shovel to get a nice flat line: https://www.bunnings.com.au/search/products?q=trenching+shov…. He could also drape some mesh down to ground level from the bottom metal rail, and spray weedkiller on that so it drips down instead of going under the gap killing their plants so they're not whining.

        • MS Paint on 01/11/2023 - 14:51
          +7

          Or accidentally over spray glyphosate

          • Jimothy Wongingtons on 01/11/2023 - 15:35
            +6

            @MS Paint: just straight up pour a couple of 20kg bags of pool salt along the boundry line, no more need to worry about mowing up to the line

      • Dollar General on 01/11/2023 - 14:34
        +29

        If it’s on the fence line, how can it block access to mowing? Are you saying your dad needs to access part of their property to cut the grass?

        • [Deactivated] on 03/11/2023 - 03:59
          -2

          They're placing the boxes right against what is probably one of those colourbond sheet metal fences that never touch the ground so they don't corrode, and so have a few cm gap underneath the bottom edge. So when he tries to trim grass along the bottom edge on his side, his nylon trimmer line is spinning under the gap by a few cm which chops into the back sides of their styrofoam boxes. It's easy to say, "Meh, just do it…" but then they'll probably start doing all sorts of revenge moves like throwing dog poop, prawn heads, garbage etc over.

          • Dollar General on 03/11/2023 - 08:59

            @[Deactivated]: So OP’s dad needs to keep the grass a few cm’s away from the fence line. Sounds to me like the grass is actually growing under the fence gap and into the neighbours property

      • DoctorCalculon on 01/11/2023 - 20:09
        +1

        You have no fence along the title boundary?

    • Latrentis on 03/11/2023 - 21:19

      Don't know if it matters. Old neighbours planted trees near our fenceline over 10 years ago. Fast forward and trees have matured and roots have made their way into pipes. Constant plumber call outs for us now as it's an old house so not worth replacing pipes.

  • GG57 on 01/11/2023 - 13:59
    +4

    My council will likely be different to their council.

    • [Deactivated] on 01/11/2023 - 14:11

      I appreciate this. I had a quick search online but no council landscaping codes seem to include any reference.

      • GG57 on 01/11/2023 - 14:38
        +1

        Ok. But it would be pointless for me to do a similar search with my council. And the same would apply to anyone from any other council area.

        • [Deactivated] on 01/11/2023 - 14:55
          +1

          Oh, I'm not expecting you to do any research, just wondering if anyone had any similar experience when installing new flower beds.

          • GG57 on 01/11/2023 - 14:57
            +4

            @[Deactivated]: Shouldn't your question be:

            if anyone had any similar experience when installing new flower beds in the same council area as my parents.

            • ldt on 03/11/2023 - 00:28
              +2

              @GG57: Absolutely. The fact this is being downvoted is ridiculous.

  • Frashal on 01/11/2023 - 14:00
    +77

    They can build them wherever they like on their property, it has nothing to do with anybody else. And why would they need to advise their neighbours about a shed and bbq? Your parents need to mind their own business.

      • DoctorCalculon on 01/11/2023 - 20:12
        +21

        Seriously, how does it affect you or your parents what your neighbours do within their own property?

        If their building structures are not up to code, then it is up to the local council to enforce or not.

          • OZKap on 02/11/2023 - 00:20
            +18

            @[Deactivated]:

            2.5m DIY dodgy BBQ + gazebo positioned almost flush against your 2m fence

            Tall fences make for good neighbours. One of our neighbours has a dodgy firewood shed built against our fence. When the tin roof panels started blowing off in a storm I headed over to his place to help him screw it back on.

            it would probably have affected the property price.

            😭😭😭

            • Cohey on 02/11/2023 - 08:45
              +4

              @OZKap: If I ever own one day, I hope to have a neighbour like you!

              • PopCounty on 03/11/2023 - 09:15
                +1

                @Cohey: Just go and ask the neighbour to sell their house to you. Simples.

          • GrueHunter on 04/11/2023 - 21:31
            +2

            @[Deactivated]: Already have accepted it. When he fires it up I say "G'day B, barbie smells awesome mate" and he says "cheers mate" and we both get on with our f'n lives.

      • sauce2k on 02/11/2023 - 10:11
        +1

        wow lady settle down there. Stay in your lane.

      • Papa Huggies on 02/11/2023 - 17:41
        +3

        What a condescending thing to say to someone calling you out on your little hissy fit

    • PainToad on 01/11/2023 - 14:45
      +17

      They can build them wherever they like on their property, it has nothing to do with anybody else. And why would they need to advise their neighbours about a shed

      You clearly have no idea what you're talking about.

      There are many council laws about what can/cannot be built on someone's property and even if allowed, there are still limits how close some structures can be to neighbouring properties without approved relaxation from council and/or permission from neighbours.

      Water run off from shed roofs on fence lines is one example of why it might be rejected.

      Every council is obviously unique, but this is pretty standard.

    • Name on 02/11/2023 - 20:01
      +4

      They can build them wherever they like on their property

      Ahh no they can't? There are setback requirements specified in almost every council area and those requirements differ depending on the land use / density overlays and the type of structure. E.g. My property I can't build any structure (including garden shed) within 1.5m of a side fence line, 6m from the front fence line and 10m from the rear (as I'm on a river). If it's classified as a small lot and the structure is under 2.1m it can be built with a 0m setback to side boundaries for a maximum length of 12m if it is a non-habitable or class 10 dwelling.

      There are plenty more different requirements just highlighting the ones I was looking at when I wanted to put a gazebo against my fence to cover my spa.

    • paulojr on 03/11/2023 - 00:43
      +3

      Untrue for most councils.

      Most councils will have limits such as the following
      1) Size of shed, in my area. Max I think is 10m2 (basically a bit over 3mx3m, then you actually need a permit) Likely the example provided was a shed bigger than this or higher than whatever the max height limit is.
      2) Max size of structures on the property, my area around 60% of the land only can be used for building structures including sheds, any more you need special permits (and sign off by your neighbors)
      3) Build to boundary line limits (I think may always requires sign off by your neighbors) Anything that gets close to the boundary can cause issues ranging from draining, to difficulty servicing the shared boundary line, to noise so very right to require your neighbors signoff on building on boundaries.

      With flower beds, we learnt this the hard way (and at significant out of pocket expenses) that these too can cause draining issues and damage structures on your neighours side if not done correctly. The rules here may be indirect through as it falls into general landscaping. That said, consider it the other way, even if you don't need neigbours consent if they damage your property by landscaping in a way that floods your property then they are liable for that damage, so it makes sense to talk to them about this before damage occurs and they have you or your insurance company calling them to recover costs.

  • Mechz on 01/11/2023 - 14:01
    +6

    Just call the council and get them to assess the boundary line and take action from there.

    • [Deactivated] on 01/11/2023 - 14:02
      -1

      I've sent them an email - just wondering in the meantime.

      • geekcohen on 02/11/2023 - 08:49
        +2

        Call them! An email will fall on deaf ears.

        • ausmisc on 02/11/2023 - 12:19
          +3

          Hopefully not blind eyes though.

  • scatman00 on 01/11/2023 - 14:15
    +19

    Shed and bbq either meet council requirements or dont, no reason to notify a neighbour on this.

    Garden bed - if its on their property, the mowing of the lawn is irrelevant. Maybe not very neighbourly but thats about it.

    Some people just struggle with change.

    • [Deactivated] on 01/11/2023 - 14:24
      -1

      That's the thing, if they had advised my parents & the other neighbours before they started building the shed & BBQ then they would have been reminded to check with council re: requirements. They didn't and commenced both builds less than 30cm from both fence lines. Council took their sweet time & attended 3 weeks after notification by which time the 2 builds were almost 50% completed so they wasted their time & money by not checking in with their neighbours.

      Not very neighbourly is the least of it; any modifications shouldn't impact upon neighbours upkeep of their properties.

      • dtc on 01/11/2023 - 14:42
        +31

        yes, I certainly trust my neighbours to provide advice on council siting regulations. Your answers to other questions indicate you dont know the difference between a structure and landscaping, so not sure why you think you know what council regulations say.

        Ive never heard of a council regulating 'soft scaping'. Neighbours have even been known to plant (gasp) trees right next to the boundary lines.

        No point asking a question and then arguing with everyone who doesnt give you the answer you want.

          • JimmyF on 01/11/2023 - 16:36
            +9

            @[Deactivated]:

            If you don't own property

            and yet you own this property but are an expert.

              • JimmyF on 01/11/2023 - 16:39
                +2

                @[Deactivated]: Well you have lots of things to comment on that are wrong…. Like you going people who don't own property not to comment on when you don't own any property yourself…. LOL

                  • JimmyF on 01/11/2023 - 16:52
                    +9

                    @[Deactivated]:

                    I don't still live with my parents.

                    LOL sure sure… The way your post is written, it certainly sounds like you do!

                    • [Deactivated] on 01/11/2023 - 16:57
                      -5

                      @JimmyF: Because it's not written by a gamer?

                      • JimmyF on 01/11/2023 - 16:59
                        +31

                        @[Deactivated]: Huh? I'm starting to see who the problem is in this picture and it isn't the people next door.

                        • [Deactivated] on 01/11/2023 - 17:02
                          -6

                          @JimmyF: Are you my parent's 'no entender inglés' neighbour?

                          • JimmyF on 01/11/2023 - 20:04
                            +17

                            @[Deactivated]: Thankfully not, as you/your parents sound painful to live next door. All this fuss about what others are doing on THEIR land.

                            • [Deactivated] on 01/11/2023 - 21:01
                              -1

                              @JimmyF: hmmmm …. have you had dealings with Council over dwellings/structures, etc on your property that your neighbours may have taken issue with?

                              • JimmyF on 01/11/2023 - 22:47
                                +6

                                @[Deactivated]: LOL… Why would I? It's only you that have issues with what the neighbours are doing on THEIR property…..

                                Maybe your parents should worry about their own place and not what the neighbours are doing.

                                • [Deactivated] on 01/11/2023 - 22:54
                                  -3

                                  @JimmyF: Council never approved the bunker, huh? Did you have to get it filled in?

                                  • JimmyF on 01/11/2023 - 22:57
                                    +11

                                    @[Deactivated]: Again, your poor attempts at insults just proves who is really at fault here. No wonder the neighbours moved out!

                                    • [Deactivated] on 01/11/2023 - 23:03
                                      -1

                                      @JimmyF: How was I insulting you about a bunker? Who wouldn't want a bunker?

                                      Their previous neighbour was an old lady that lived there > 50 years & 'moved out' when she died aged 81.

                                      • JimmyF on 01/11/2023 - 23:04
                                        +16

                                        @[Deactivated]: Ouch….The poor lady had to fake her own death to get away!

                                      • Papa Huggies on 02/11/2023 - 17:46
                                        +13

                                        @[Deactivated]: Before you do your normal namecalling when someone disagrees with you…

                                        I'm a homeowner. Purchased a <$1M house in Sydney. I say that in case you want to move the goalpost to "you probably live in a shoebox" or "you're too poor to understand". Unless you're in Bondi I'm equal or more wealthy than you. Also a civil engineer by trade so I've dealt a fair bit with Councils.

                                        Two things you need to do:

                                        1. Stop presuming everyone that disagrees with you is a 19 year old gamer.

                                        2. Have a civil chat with your parents' neighbour, or maybe your parents could do it themselves. Not sure if you know how, since you seem to resort to namecalling. Maybe you should sit in and observe.

      • EightImmortals on 01/11/2023 - 14:47

        Funny the builders didn't pick up on it? Or were they doing it all themselves?

        • PainToad on 01/11/2023 - 14:53
          +2

          Builders don't give a shit. They still get paid. The risk is on the owners when council comes knocking forcing you to knock it down.

          I always wondered why so many houses sell with illegal structures when it's so easy to look online at a council's PD to see what is and isn't approved on any property before buying.

          I guess the answer is many people are ignorant.

          • Name on 02/11/2023 - 20:07
            +1

            @PainToad:

            people are ignorant

            Or turn a blind eye. Like if the structure is already there and you don't piss off the neighbours, generally no one will come knocking.

          • MrFunSocks on 03/11/2023 - 10:13

            @PainToad:

            I guess the answer is many people are ignorant.

            I think the answer is most people don't care because it costs time and money to get council approval, and unless someone complains about whatever they're building and reports it to the council they will be fine.

          • bargain huntress on 08/11/2023 - 01:48

            @PainToad: What is a PD?

            • PainToad on 08/11/2023 - 11:35
              +1

              @bargain huntress: Never thought about what it stands for, Public Development maybe? Google "<your council name> PD"

        • [Deactivated] on 01/11/2023 - 14:56

          It's not a new build. Established property & lawn.

      • JimmyF on 01/11/2023 - 16:35
        +2

        Not very neighbourly is the least of it; any modifications shouldn't impact upon neighbours upkeep of their properties.

        Tell me again how them building within 30cm of the fence impacted you? It was on their side.

        • [Deactivated] on 01/11/2023 - 16:43

          Council regs means it has to be 900mm away from the boundary fence.

        • MrFunSocks on 03/11/2023 - 10:14
          -1

          It absolutely can affect them, especially in regards to water/drainage.

      • notauser on 02/11/2023 - 08:48
        +4

        Have your parents talked calmly and kindly to the neighbours?
        Maybe become friendly with them first, then make their pedantic requests

        I cut down a whole tree on my property near the fence line just to keep my elderly neighbor happy as the roots were damaging his shed slab. I did this for him because he was nice and friendly to us since we had moved in

        • bargain huntress on 08/11/2023 - 22:40

          Post of the thread.

          Problem is op and their parents dont sound very friendly

      • MrFunSocks on 03/11/2023 - 10:11

        Why didn't your parents tell them that it is against council regulations when they saw them start the builds then? That would have been the neighbourly thing to do.

        • bargain huntress on 08/11/2023 - 22:42

          Yeah letting them half finish it and then reporting them to the council is a bit low. Im surprised they didnt wait until it was finished.

  • mskeggs on 01/11/2023 - 14:20
    +26

    If you look at it from the other point of view, they have a neighbour who wants a strip of their land to be left vacant to make it easier for them to mow.
    This isn’t a requirement.

      • mskeggs on 01/11/2023 - 15:13
        +33

        If they aren't encroaching on your property, there is no restriction on you maintaining your property.

      • Assburg on 02/11/2023 - 10:47
        +2

        Good luck proving an easement like this.

        It needs to be both reasonable in the sense it wouldn't give your parents what amounts to exclusive possession over the neighbor's land and essential to completing the task they want to do.

        Disallowing your neighbors to conduct even the smallest bit of landscaping on their land is pretty close to exclusive possession. Your parents should instead consider buying 10cm into their block along the boundary without changing the fence line to achieve something like this.

        In terms of needing it to mow, that's not the issue. The issue is do you need access/clearance to maintain the property, and mowing isn't the only way to do this. Whipper snipper seems like it'll do pretty well, just might want to talk to neighbour about a stronger material - damage to their garden bed will be 'your parents' liability or whatever, regardless of rights to mow or whatever other stuff you conjure up.

        If you really think that your council rates go towards stopping neighbours from growing flowers and resolving boundary disputes, you are sadly mistaken.

      • MrFunSocks on 03/11/2023 - 10:15

        Get your parents to put in some brick or concrete edging along the fence line, problem solved. Not only does it make mowing easier, it looks much cleaner.

  • pegaxs on 01/11/2023 - 14:21
    +68

    Anything else your boomer parents want to moan about? It's a garden bed, not a 3 story granny flat. Tell them to pull their heads in would be a good start…

    (fropanity) flower bed, ffs. This is a deadset way to turn reasonable neighbours into nightmare neighbours.

    • lachhelix on 01/11/2023 - 18:22
      +4

      Totally agree.
      Sounds like a lot of hard work imo, nothing else to do I guess lol

        • Assburg on 02/11/2023 - 10:50
          +2

          You'd be surprised how many of the comments here are legally astute observations. I'd put at least 10% of the ozb forum community in some sort of legal profession, and on the other hand your tendancy to speculate suggests you're the only one here engaging in escapsim to avoid reality.

        • chris666 on 02/11/2023 - 20:34
          +4

          I game and own multiple properties you don't and still live with your parents

    • tomfool on 03/11/2023 - 12:05

      The old boomer quip is really getting old, maybe as old as the boomers.

    • kaleidoscope on 04/11/2023 - 08:07
      -1

      Some people… 🤷‍♂️

  • Dollar General on 01/11/2023 - 14:21
    +18

    Same answer as to how close your parents can grow their grass to the fence line

      • Dollar General on 01/11/2023 - 14:33
        +43

        If you parents can grow grass to the fence line then the neighbour can plant flowers to the fence line

      • Assburg on 02/11/2023 - 10:51
        +3

        Reading and comprehension.. you literally asked a question in the title and now you're telling everyone they're wrong.

        Can't even comprehend your own words, mods pls ban this mouth breather for trolling.

  • jv on 01/11/2023 - 14:30
    +14

    How Close to Property Lines is Allowed?

    Usually, right up to the fence line…

    • [Deactivated] on 01/11/2023 - 14:30
      -2

      That's what they tried with the BBQ & shed.

      Council said NO!

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