Compliance and Enforcement
It is your responsibility to ensure compliance with all requirements of the relevant legislation. To assist in complying with these requirements, a range of tools and resources have been developed.
Tools And Resources
The tools and resources developed by Council allow you to know what the relevant law is, what the requirements are, and ways you can reduce health risks. These tools will assist in resolving issues without involving Council or will minimise the involvement of Council.
Lead
Preventing illness
Water
Wastewater
Installing on-site sewerage facilities
Regulation And Enforcement
Legislation requires Council to respond to complaints received. This response will depend on the complaint history, current compliance status and the risk of the alleged offence. Actions taken by Council may include:
- sending an advisory letter and fact sheet to both the alleged offender and the complainant
- conducting an onsite investigation.
Council is legally required to enforce public health standards. If you have difficulty complying with the legislative requirements, contact Council for assistance or advice.
Failure to comply with the requirements, may result in one or more of the following enforcement actions:
- a letter being issued requiring action or work to be conducted
- a public health order being issued requiring action to be taken or work to be conducted
- a legal notice being issued requiring action to be taken or work to be conducted
- issuing of a Penalty Infringement Notice (PIN) or on-the-spot fine
- prosecution.
Complaint Management
Should you have a problem or issue, always attempt to discuss the issue directly with the person responsible for the nuisance in order to try and achieve a solution. Give them an appropriate time frame to do something about it. If the situation hasn't changed after that time, it may then be necessary to contact the appropriate authority.
Council only has jurisdiction to act on some public health risk matters, and shares the responsibility of public health risks with other government agencies. Different health risks may be addressed by different agencies.
Asbestos
- Asbestos which is not at a workplace (homeowner carrying out works to own home) - contact Council.
Illegal drug laboratories (clan labs)
Lead based paint removal and cleaning
- Occurring at a non-workplace (homeowner carrying out works to own home) - contact Council
Mosquitoes
- Breeding (or potential for breeding) on Council, residential and commercial land - contact Council.
Rats and mice
- Harbouring (or potential for harbouring) on Council, residential and commercial land - contact Council.
Waste
- Accumulation or deposit on residential and commercial land - contact Council.