By Corey Everitt
New local law is being proposed for Cardinia with the council looking for fines to go up, for better management of waste and recycling and a crackdown on Real Estate Agents abusing public space for free advertising.
Cardinia Shire Council’s General Meeting on 19 February passed the new proposal of ‘Cardinia Shire Community Local Law 2024’ seeing a slate of updates to existing law and new additions to address emerging issues.
Among them is the proposal for penalty fines to go up and be indexed annually, particularly as an update on the changes made to municipal penalties in the Local Government Act 2020.
Currently, a parking fine in a council reserve is $100. The maximum penalty for any amount of infringements is $2000.
In the proposed new local law, parking fines would go up to $196, while such things as building site offenses and livestock on roads could go from $500 to $962.
The maximum penalty would go up to $3,820 and would index annually.
Among the other changes to the treatment of signage used by Real Estate Agencies, local agents have complained that some other agents are using the public events and roadsides for free advertising by placing their signs without the necessary permits, sometimes leaving them for a long duration of time.
Instead of a permit system, the new law will allow agents to place signage at certain events, however it will have restrictions on the time and placement, allowing for agents to still place their signs but defining a short window for it that dissuades them from being left irresponsibly.
There will be new changes to laws around waste, the local law will more precisely define when hard rubbish should be placed out and that people with their domestic waste should ‘only place permitted items in the approved’ bins.
This is to adapt to the new waste streams that are being introduced State-wide beyond just general and recycled, however the proposal says the law won’t be applied often.
“This clause is proposed to allow clearer enforcement, particularly where dangerous or
prohibited items creates hazards (including truck fires) that are ultimately borne by residents,” the summary of the proposal.
It’s also proposed to clarify the law of what constitutes an ‘unsightly’ building, to help the council address property becoming run down and dilapidated by holding property owners accountable better and sooner.
The new local laws also included tougher standards and higher penalties for builders, new laws to assist Victoria Police in suppressing hoon events and changes to pet laws.
The proposal was moved by Cr Springfield and seconded Deputy Mayor Cr Moore. It was passed unanimously.
‘Cardinia Shire Community Local Law 2024’ will now go through a public consultation process.
