Casey councillors have unanimously adopted the Casey Community Local Law 2025, introducing significant changes to how vehicle repairs, unregistered vehicle storage, and shipping containers at private properties are regulated across the municipality.
These issues received wide controversy earlier this year, which prompted a review.
The final version of the new law, adopted at the Casey Council December Meeting, will come into effect on 2 March 2026.
The updated law replaces the contentious 2023 version, following a city-wide review involving over 1,000 survey responses, 74 formal submissions on the draft, workshops, 12 pop-up sessions and over 400 door knocks.
The office report said the final law “reflects extensive community input”, aiming to “balance individual freedoms with community wellbeing, safety, and amenity”.
The shipping container clause has received one of the biggest overhauls since the draft version.
At the December Council Meeting, Cr Melinda Ambros said that the reflection of having zero submissions back for the previous 2023 version of the Local Law was a step that they don’t want to see repeated in the future.
“We have just demonstrated how significant it is to show our voices are needed and heard, and the officers went to heavy work and provided a beautiful Local Community Law of 2025,” she said.
“The adoption of the Local Law 2025 is not just a regulatory update. It’s a commitment to listening, engaging, and acting in the best interest of Casey community.”
Cr Shane Taylor said many of the most difficult issues in the Local Law had been changed, clarified, or, in some cases, wound back.
“The community made it clear what went too far and what felt fair. What we have done now has been built with the community at every step,” he said.
“Not everyone will agree with every clause, but the final Local Law 2025 document reflects local expectations about property rights, amenity, and common-sense enforcement.
“As a councillor, this is the type of community process we should encourage.”
Deputy Mayor Cr Michelle Crowther highlighted the outcomes for the shipping containers, recreational vehicles, and the removal of permits for vehicle repairs.
“This is the biggest issue our councillor group has faced so far, and it shows me the process does work,” she said.
“Maybe not as quickly as the community would like, especially for those who are calling for councillors to fix this problem in January, but it has shown me that the process of consultation, drafting, and reviewing can produce a great outcome in the end.”
City of Casey Manager Communications and Corporate Governance Chloe Casey pointed out that the requirement for a local law permit for shipping containers on private land had been replaced with an amenity-based standard, ensuring containers do not detract from the character or comfort of the immediate area.
“An owner or occupier of private land must not cause or allow a shipping container on that private land to be used or kept in a manner so as to be detrimental to the amenity of the immediate area in which it is located,” the new law stipulates.
A new explanatory note now directs residents to state legislation, not local permits.
It states that under the Building Act 1993, a container used for storage is deemed a building, requiring a building permit. A planning permit may be required if a container is used for commercial storage on residential land.
“Although the clause applies to all private land, its emphasis on ‘detrimental to amenity’ provides flexibility for rural and semi-rural properties, where containers are less likely to affect neighbouring residents due to greater separation and differing land use,” the officer report states.
“By tying enforcement to amenity considerations and referencing existing planning and building permit requirements, the clause promotes fair and consistent decision-making.
“This streamlined approach aligns with broader legislative frameworks and meets community expectations for clarity and equitable regulation.”
In the final law, a widely criticised clause that regulates vehicle repair and unregistered vehicles on private properties has been removed.
Matters relating to excess unregistered vehicles on private land will be judged on whether they are “unsightly”.
The unsightly land clause states that “an owner or occupier of private land must not allow that private land to become unsightly”, and “to be used in a manner so as to be detrimental to the amenity of the immediate area in which it is located”.
The new law includes definitions of what is considered unsightly or detrimental to amenity, such as more than two unregistered, broken or dismantled vehicles.
The officer report also addressed the potential concerns for increased noise, pollution, and visual clutter, particularly in residential areas, raised during the draft public exhibition.
It states that the final law focuses on amenity impacts, with clearer definitions of “amenity” and “unsightly” introduced to guide residents and authorised officers.
“Relevant provisions remain allowing for Council to intervene where vehicle-related activities cause impacts to amenity (e.g. noise, visual impacts) which balances residents’ rights with the need to protect neighbourhood standards,” the report states.
