Harper Sercombe
A new and accessible community local law draft has been released for community consultation.
Fire safety, animals, property, vehicles and public behaviour are some of the themes addressed in the draft that was endorsed at a council meeting on Tuesday, June 27.
Local laws are a requirement of council to keep people safe, protect the natural environment, improve access and enjoyment of public places and respond to poor behaviour.
“It’s about striking a balance between personal freedom and community responsibility to help people live harmoniously in their local community,” chair administrator Lydia Wilson said.
“Our new draft community local law aims to do this in line with our growing community’s expectations.”
Administrator Christian Zahra said there were lots of this new law he “loved.”
“Plain language is something that’s best practice when it comes to government documents, especially when it comes to any type of law,” Mr Zahra said.
“[Shortening the law] makes the documents accessible, it makes it easier to enforce and it means people understand what they are doing.”
The law addresses issues which have emerged in recent years including the use of recreational fire pits, nature strip maintenance, managing long-term parking of trailers, caravans and boats on council land, dumping of rubbish, managing derelict and dilapidated buildings, dumped or abandoned shopping trolleys, managing dogs on sports fields and strengthening dog attack laws.
Council is asking for feedback on the proposed changes alongside the community local law.
Council will be hosting pop-up sessions to discuss the draft at a variety of locations throughout July.
“We want to make sure that the law is truly reflective of our community and provides the framework to ensure that the city of Whittlesea truly is a place for all,” Ms Wilson said.
Council will review further community feedback before finalising the community local law and presenting it for endorsement at a council meeting later this year.
