Congratulations!
Congratulations to Christine Burke from Coolgardie who won the Property Pride Competition.
Property Pride Competition T&Cs
The Shire of Coolgardie is hosting a Property Pride competition for the month of June 2021. To enter, upload a photo of your yard to social media using the hashtag #socpropertypride. Entries open 1 June 8am and close 2 July 4pm 2021. Entries open to Shire of Coolgardie residents only. The competition is open to homeowners and renters. One winner to be selected at random and will win a $250 Bunnings Gift Card only.
Why are well maintained properties important?
Well maintained properties add greatly to the beauty and amenity of the Shire of Coolgardie. Those that are poorly maintained can lead to perceptions that the area is unsafe, untidy and poorly cared for and can sometimes lead to increased levels of vandalism and other anti-social behaviour.
In a commercial or industrial area, untidy properties can also have a detrimental impact on business because potential customers associate poor housekeeping practice with poor business practice.
For these reasons, Council requires property owners and occupiers to maintain their properties and prevent them from becoming unsightly.
In reference to Local Government Act 3.25, property or premises can be considered unsightly, and possibly dangerous, if it has one or more of the following:
- Unconstrained or excessive rubbish
- Disused excavation, machinery, vehicles, or waste material
- Accumulated items
- Excessive vegetation, including grass or weeds exceeding 200mm in height.
- Graffiti which is visible to the public
- More than three unregistered, unroadworthy, disassembled, incomplete or deteriorated vehicles (this includes cars, boats, caravans, or any farm type equipment)
- Machinery or vehicle parts which have been stored on the land for more than 60 days out of 90 days in total and which constitutes a detriment to the appearance of the surrounding area
- Flammable material, solid or liquid likely to assist the spread of fire or constitute a fire hazard, and/or
- Anything being built which is left incomplete and constitutes a detriment to the appearance of the surrounding area.
What happens if I don't maintain my property?
The Shire of Coolgardie may give notice in writing to the owner or occupier of a lot requiring the removal of refuse listed above. If not removed within the time specified, the Shire may do so and charge the property owner.
The notice will be specific to the following Local Government Act regulations -
Removal of refuse and disused materials
The owner or occupier of a lot shall not keep, or permit to remain on the lot, any refuse, rubbish or disused material of whatsoever nature or kind which in the opinion of the local government or an authorised person is likely to give the lot an untidy appearance and does not conform with the general appearance of other land in that particular part of the Shire.
Removal of unsightly overgrowth of vegetation
The owner or occupier of a lot shall not permit to remain on a lot any unsightly overgrowth of vegetation that gives the lot an untidy appearance and does not conform with the general appearance of other land in that particular part of the Shire.
Storage of vehicles and machinery
The owner or occupier of a lot shall not—
(a) store or allow to remain on any lot, a vehicle, part or body of a vehicle or machinery, in a state of disrepair.
(b) wreck, dismantle or break up any vehicle, part or body of a vehicle or machinery; unless—
(i) inside a building; or
(ii) within an area enclosed by a fence or wall of not less than 2 metres in height and of such a nature as to screen all vehicles, parts or bodies of vehicles or machinery from the street and from adjoining properties: or
(c) wreck, dismantle or break up a vehicle so as to cause a nuisance.
Disposing of disused refrigerators or similar containers
A person shall not place, leave or dispose of a disused refrigerator, ice-chest, icebox, trunk, chest or other similar article having a compartment which has a capacity of 0.04 cubic metres or more on any land without first –
(a) removing every door and lid and every lock, catch and hinge attached to a door or lid; or (b) rendering every door and lid incapable of being fastened; and
(c) removing any refrigerants as per requirements of the Environment Protection (Ozone Protection) Policy 2000.