By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
THE City of Casey will no longer help residents pay for the cost to repair a damaged fence that backs onto a reserve.
The decision was made as of 17 June when the council amended its Shared Cost Fencing Policy which previously directed the council to contribute up to half the cost of a standard paling fence for some reserves.
City of Casey Manager Engineering David Richardson said the council amended the policy to align with its “legal obligations”.
“Under the previous policy, council used to contribute to the shared cost of fencing for some reserves.
“Council assisted with costs for fencing around reserves where the primary beneficiary was the property owners with very little benefit to the broader community,” he said.
“Council is obligated to share fencing costs where council is an occupier of the land.
“Council is not considered an occupier where there is general public access to land, such as reserves.
“Like all levels of government, council reviews the services it provides to the community including the cost, and the community benefit, to ensure it is acting financially responsibly and meeting the needs of the community.”
Endeavour Hills resident Robyn Cousins, whose property backs on to John Strover Reserve, said she only found out about the council’s decision through a third-party contractor when she looked into getting her recently fallen fence repaired, for which the cost has been quoted at more than $2700.
Ms Cousins said she was aggrieved that the council hadn’t done more to alert residents throughout Casey to the fencing policy amendments.
“I rang my fence guy to fix my fence and he told me that council had contacted all fencing contractors to tell them they will no longer be paying their share of the fences,” she said.
“They have no courtesy to tell anyone else.
“It doesn’t affect their privacy, nor keeps their dog in, or retain anything in their property, so they will no longer pay for half of the fence.”
Mr Richardson said prior to the amendments the council has not always shared the cost of repairing some fences that bordered reserves due to specific restrictions.
“Council did not contribute to the cost of fencing abutting roads and right-of-ways, or tree and plantation reserves abutting a road where a footpath, shared path or bicycle path constructed of gravel, asphalt or concrete did not exist within the reserve,” he said.
