City of Melbourne

In the City of Melbourne, a planning permit is a prerequisite for a building permit. The city council explains that fencing projects are generally exempted from the permit requirement save for when the property is located at certain overlays or when the fence doesn’t comply with the specs detailed in the Melbourne Planning Scheme (MPS).

Under Standard A20 of MPS Clause 54.06-2, front fences within three metres of a street shouldn’t exceed the limit set for the zone the property is located in. If none exists, then:

  • Fences fronting streets in Transport Zone 2 are limited to 2.0 metres
  • Fences fronting other streets are limited to 1.5 metres

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This applies to single dwellings on lots of no more than 300 square metres. However, the same can also be said for lots with two or more dwellings.

In addition to these, Melbourne has special rules for properties within heritage precincts. To preserve the cultural heritage of these areas, fences for these properties are limited to 1.5 metres and must provide 50% transparency to the façade. The fence design must also be consistent with the architecture from the period the property was built.