RESIDENTS have labelled Hobsons Bay City Council’s proposed nature strip planning controls as “wacky”.
The Hobsons Bay Nature Strip Planting Policy could see residents needing to apply for a permit to alter their nature strips or be fined $1000.
The policy aims to reflect community values including coherent and consistent design.
“While it is general practice that residents maintain nature strips, it is not considered to be appropriate for each resident to impart their individual design values onto the ‘public’ nature strip in front of their house,” read the agenda.
Brooklyn Residents Action Group member Charlie Volpe said it should be more about education rather than legislation.
“The council should ask us in what ways we want to care and beautify our area, I don’t know why they have to introduce a law,” he said.
He also suggested that if the new policy was to be approved, then the council should take responsibility for cutting the grass along nature strips.
Hobsons Bay Residents Association member Anne Palmer said she thought it “stinks”.
“We’re the ones that maintain it. I pay my weekly snipper man $10 to whipper snipper it,” she said.“They can pay the cost. I’m not impressed about that at all.”
She said it was something that people weren’t happy about. “We’ll fight that one.”
The draft policy states that mown or native grasses and plants should be no higher than 300mm.
Under the proposed policy residents must not have a range of materials on nature strips including wood chips, artificial turf, stakes, rocks, pebbles, bricks, vegetables, stakes, weeds, letter boxes and other fixed furniture such as seats and sculptures.
The fee for a road opening permit in Hobsons Bay to alter a nature strip is $80 with a $200 asset protection bond, the bond would be returned after a council inspection of the finished alterations. The draft policy is on public exhibition and a decision will be made after community consultation.
– Nicole Precel
