Planning Zone Location | Fronting What Road | Height in Excess of |
GRZ, MUZ*, NRZ, RGZ | Declared Road | 1.2 metres |
GRZ, MUZ*, NRZ, RGZ | Non-declared road | 0.9 metres |
Other zones | Declared Road | 2.0 metres |
Other zones | Non-declared road | 1.5 metres |
Mixed Use Zone
For side and rear fences, any height over two metres needs a building permit. However, the council also suggests checking if the fence complies with specific aspects such as:
- Minimum setbacks (Section 90)
- Maximum heights (Section 91)
- Setback from habitable room windows (Section 94)
- Setback from north-facing habitable room windows (Section 95)
- Overshadowing the neighbour’s recreational space (Section 96)
For corner fences, the maximum height depends on whether they’re facing a Declared or non-declared road. However, their placement within the Traffic Sight Triangle (TST) – the triangular area formed by the first nine metres of fencing from the corner – is also taken into account. Below is a summary of the building permit requirements.
Planning Zone Location | Fronting What Road | Relative to TST | Height in Excess of |
GRZ, MUZ, NRZ, RGZ | Declared Road | Inside | 1.0 metre |
GRZ, MUZ, NRZ, RGZ | Declared Road | Outside | 1.2 metres |
GRZ, MUZ, NRZ, RGZ | Non-declared road | ** | 0.9 metres |
Other zones | ** | Inside | 1.0 metre* |
Other zones | Declared Road | ** | 2.0 metres* |
Other zones | Non-declared road | ** | 1.5 metres* |
Other zones | ** | Outside | 1.5 metres |
*Dispensation required before applying for a building permit
**Blank values indicate that the conditions can be either
Brick fences are limited to 0.9 metres if on a non-declared road and within a GRZ, MUZ, NRZ, or RGZ. Those outside these zones or within these zones but are fronting a Declared Road are limited to 1.2 metres.
The addition of barbed wire and sharp protrusions to a fence is subject to Section 93. Pool and spa fences require a building permit if the pool or spa can hold a depth of over 30 cm.