Compliance

Council has been notified of businesses advertising “free clean fill” to Wingecarribee residents. Residents should be aware that this type of “free clean fill” is generally construction waste containing asbestos, building debris and heavy metal contaminants. Accepting fill of this type can lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars’ in clean-up costs, and in most instances the responsibility of this stays with the Landowner. 

NSW EPA Protecting the Community and Our Environment 

Council will initiate action against those person/parties, including landowners, responsible for all instances where unauthorised land-use activities are undertaken or where land-use activities are undertaken contrary to development consent. This may include, issuing a penalty notice or taking legal action dependent on the extent of environmental damage caused and the nature of the offence. Under the relevant planning and environmental protection legislation the penalties for unauthorised or non-complying land-use activities can range up to $5 million including further penalties for each day the offence continues where the matter is taken before a Court.

Residents are reminded that development consent from Council is generally required for the removal of native vegetation and individual trees, as well as works associated with land-filling, earth moving and regrading. If you are considering undertaking any form of development, it is important that you contact Council to discuss your need to obtain prior approval.

Wingecarribee is a unique natural area with high conservation significance and is home to several threatened species, including Koalas and Glossy Black Cockatoos, is part of the regionally significant Great Western Wildlife Corridor and is the source of Sydney’s drinking water. 

Unauthorised land-filling, associated earthworks and the illegal removal of native vegetation have the potential to cause significant environmental damage and could result in harm to a range of threatened species and their habitat.

To report illegal motorbike activity on Council land, Contact Us | Wingecarribee 

Rangers are limited in their capacity to effectively control illegal trail bike riding as they have no authority to stop, detain or pursue offending trail bike riders.

Council encourages the community to report incidences of illegal trail bikes directly to the Police. If the crime is happening now call 000, otherwise you can:  

When reporting please provide the operator with as much information as possible including: 

The investigation to determine if a vehicle is abandoned is carried out under the Public Spaces (Unattended Items) Act 2021.

Once Council has been notified by NSW Police, Council's Rangers can then investigate abandoned vehicles in the Shire. This includes road related areas as defined under the Road Rules 2008, and includes an area that is not a road and that is open to or used by the public for driving, riding or parking vehicles.

If the vehicle is abandoned within an enclosed strata property, the matter should be resolved under the Strata Schemes Management Act 1996 and the Community Land Management Act 1989.

Abandoned vehicles located on private land need to be managed by the land owner and occupier of the premises.

When investigating a suspected abandoned vehicle, Council places a bright yellow sticker on the vehicle to signify that it is under Council investigation and provide the owner notice that the vehicle may be impounded if not removed.

Only in case of absolute emergency (i.e. hazard to public safety) can this process change.

Failure to comply with the Public Spaces (Unattended Items) Act 2021 can result in a penalty infringement notice being imposed on a person who abandons a motor vehicle in a public place. 

Fees also apply for reclaiming an impounded vehicle, including release, transport and daily storage fees.

To enquire as to whether your vehicle has been impounded by Council, contact:

Customer Experience

Telephone: 02 4868 0888

Email: mail@wsc.nsw.gov.au  

If you have a vehicle that you no longer need or wish to keep and are unable to sell the vehicle, contact a scrap metal dealer. In most cases, the scrap metal dealer will collect the vehicle at no cost.

When you sell your vehicle, it is your responsibility to tell Transport for NSW (TfNSW) that you are no longer the registered owner.

If you do not tell the RMS that you have sold or disposed of your vehicle, you could be held responsible for any parking or speeding fines, and any penalties and fees if the vehicle is subsequently abandoned.

Report a Vehicle

To report a vehicle you think has been abandoned (including cars, caravans and trailers), contact: 

Police Assistance Line 

Telephone: 131 444  

The Police Assistance Line operates 24hrs a day, 7 days a week.

Council is unable to remove an abandoned vehicle until the NSW Police have confirmed that the vehicle has not been stolen or is otherwise of interest to them. 

Once the NSW Police have confirmed that the vehicle is not of interest to them and is in fact abandoned, they will notify Wingecarribee Shire Council.

The registration status of a vehicle is not indicative that an owner has abandoned the motor vehicle and registration is not a consideration within the provisions of the Act. However, it is an offence to ‘Stand Unregistered Vehicle on Public Street’. This offence is enforced by NSW Police and Council does not have the authorisation to enforce or issue a penalty notice. Information regarding the enforcement of unregistered vehicles by the NSW Police may be obtained by contacting the Police Assistance Line on 131 444. 

To report an abandoned shopping trolley, please visit Snap Send Solve. Alternatively report the following retailer's trolleys to Trolley Tracker:

• Target 
• Big W
• Woolworths

Report the following retailer's trolley's to 1800 Trolley:

• Coles
• Target
• Kmart
• First Choice Liquor
• Bunnings Warehouse

If the retailer fails to collect the reported trolley, you can report an abandoned trolley to Council by contacting Customer Service.

• It is fine to put up a sign, but a maximum of just two sign: one at your property and another at the nearest cross street.

• The sign must NOT be larger than 30cm x 42cm or A3 size.

• If that cross street is a roundabout, make sure the sign is NOT on the roundabout or in any place that distracts motorists or their line of sight.

• The signs can only go up on the morning of the sale and must be removed immediately after the sale is over.

• Signs should NOT be dangerous or obstruct pedestrians.

• Signs should NOT be placed on power poles or trees with nails and screws. 

As these signs have an address, it is not difficult for our Rangers to trace any offending signs, then serve an infringement notice. 

If signs do not comply with the regulations, fines start from:

• $200 per sign under Sec 146A(1) of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997.

• $452 per sign under Reg 11(1)(a) Road Regulation 2008.

• Professional Service Rangers costs from $91 per hour.

Impounding costs may apply.

Land may be considered to be not in a safe or healthy condition when it is located in a built up urban area and vegetation on the land:

• Is harbourage for vermin (evidence can include sightings, faeces, nests, runs, eggs etc); or

• Is likely to be harbourage for vermin (such vegetation should be consistently thick to an average height of approximately 600mm and covering a sufficient area to have the potential to harbour vermin. It does not follow from this that an uncleared or regenerated bush block comprising of mainly indigenous vegetation would be considered likely to be a harbourage for vermin; or

• Is determined by the relevant fire authority as posing a high fire hazard. 

Communicate with your neighbour first if you have any concerns relating to their property.

If you cannot get the property owner to look after their property, contact Council. Council will become involved with overgrown properties if they involve a potential risk to health. 

Council will initially write to the owner. If, after a reasonable amount of time, nothing has been done about the problem, Council can take other steps to ensure it is cleared and no longer poses a potential risk to health.

All bush fire hazard complaints received by Council must be referred to the Rural Fire Service for their determination, in accordance with the Service Agreement signed by the Rural Fire Service and Council.

Council will not consider vegetation to be a fire hazard if it has been determined not to be a fire hazard by the NSW Fire Service or the Rural Fire Service. 

For the purpose of Council to investigate Overgrown Properties:

• Overgrown Vegetation does not include any vegetation that is protected by either the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 or Council’s Tree Preservation Order, and does not include a commercial crop.

• Vermin does not include any native fauna.

• Built Up Urban Area includes land within a zone designated "residential" (but not "rural residential") "village", "industrial", or "business" under the Wingecarribee LEP 1989. 

Online

To lodge a review please visit Login | myPenalty | Revenue NSW

You will need the penalty notice number and date displayed on the penalty notice.

By Post

Step 1: Prepare Documents

You will need to provide proof of identification such as your address, date of birth or driver licence number.

Step 2.Submit Review

You can submit documents in writing to:

Revenue NSW 
PO Box 786 
Strawberry Hills 2012

Notice of Outcome

Most reviews take around two weeks, however more complex requests can take up to six weeks.

Revenue NSW have released a fines function in the Service NSW mobile app so customers can pay and resolve their fines anytime, anywhere.

This means Revenue NSW can engage with all Service NSW/RMS mobile app users to make it easy for them to finalise their fines promptly and improve your collection/finalisation rate. 

Customers can use the app to:

• pay their penalties or obtain their BPAY reference to pay

• view a list of their outstanding penalties and the amount of their debt in one place 24/7 on the go - to manage their fines

• keep track and on top of penalty payment plans

• view images, get information about other options and link to myPenalty to lodge Reviews/court

• set reminders and receive notifications of new and overdue fines - to avoid late fees and debt recovery

• confirm we have received their request for review/court request/nomination and their penalty is 'pending decision'

as well as:

• renewing/managing registrations or conducting rego checks

• updating their contact details with RMS/Service NSW

• keeping track of their licence and demerit points.

• locate their nearest Service NSW centre and the current wait time

For more information please view:

Mobile App Flyer(PDF, 651KB)

As a result of Wingecarribee Shire’s climate and topography, flooding issues from stormwater can be a common problem for property owners. Flooding and nuisance issues from stormwater can sometimes result in damage to property and distress to residents.

Stormwater is rainwater that runs off surfaces such as lawns, roads, roofs, car parks and natural ground surfaces. Stormwater that is unable to enter the underground drainage system will find its natural way to the nearest watercourse via overland flow paths. These overland flow paths are typically natural depressions (that often occur through private property), open channels, roadways and public reserves.

Read the Stormwater Drainage Over Private Property Policy

Property owners have a range of responsibilities, which if carried out correctly, will minimise the threat of stormwater damage in the event of heavy rain:

• You must maintain your roof water drainage, stormwater pipes, gutters, downpipes, stormwater inlet pits and any other components of your approved drainage system on your property in good condition and in compliance with any Council requirements,
• You are required to accept natural overland flow from adjoining properties or public land and must not divert, redirect or concentrate the flow from its natural path on to neighbouring properties,
• It is important to note that a downstream property owner cannot erect any type of barrier by way of large walls or closed fencing that interferes with the path of stormwater - if you are downstream, you must accept the 'natural' run-off on to your property,
• Ensuring that all buildings (including sheds) have an adequate storm water drainage system connected to a legal point of discharge (e.g. connected to kerb and gutter or inter-allotment drainage system),
• When constructing hardstand areas you must control stormwater in order to prevent it from flowing on to adjacent property. It is preferable to minimise the area of water-resistant surfaces such as concrete or paved areas and driveways,
• If there is an easement on your property it must be maintained and kept clear of debris to allow the natural flow of stormwater.

Property owners generally need to ensure that roof water and stormwater is drained to one of the following to comply with AS/NZS 3500.3:2003 Plumbing and Drainage Part 3: Stormwater Drainage.

• Council street kerb and gutter,
• An inter-allotment drainage system; or
• Council controlled drainage easement or drainage reserve.

Council Officers investigate and take action in relation to stormwater drainage complaints only where it relates to the flow of surface water from one property across the common land boundary onto another property, and where the following criteria has been met;

Council Officers have the discretion to take no action or are unable to take action in the following circumstances;

If you are experiencing stormwater issues as a result of stormwater being directed onto your property, you may contact Council via email to report your concern (mail@wsc.nsw.gov.au).

When reporting a stormwater drainage issue on private land, please include the following information;

• Describe what is occurring,
• When did it occur and the frequency of occurence,
• What is the source on the neighbouring land that is causing the problem,
• Take photos of the stormwater problem as it is occurring,
• Whether you made contact with Council about this issue previously,
• Describe how your land and/or building are being damaged. (if possible include a written report from a suitably qualified person stating the land or building is likely to or is being damaged),
• Whether you obtained professional advice as to the source of the stormwater issue,
• Whether you liaised with your neighbour to address this matter,
• Whether you sought advice or initiated mediation with your neighbour through the Community Justices Centre (details below).

Natural flow is the flow path down the slope following the contours of the land and occurs before any excavation, development or building. An upstream property owner cannot be held liable merely because surface water flows naturally from their land on to the lower land of a neighbor.

Complaints about buildings under construction that are subject to a current building approval should, in the first instance, be referred to the responsible Principal Certifying Authority (PCA) or the Builder.

The details for the Principal Certifying Authority and Builder should be visible on the building sign on the front of the premises.

The individual builder remains responsible for all stormwater installations permitted under the development consent whilst the building is under construction. In the event of a complaint, the PCA has enforcement powers and must take appropriate action under relevant legislation.

Seepage water is the responsibility of individual property owners. Where sloping blocks have been excavated to obtain a flat yard or building site, seepage drains should be constructed to collect and redirect water to an approved stormwater drainage system.

You should liaise with neighbours to address any problems. If possible, drainage easements can be created to direct water to a Council stormwater drainage system.

Localised overland flooding may occur when one or more of the following happens:

A drainage easement is a legal encumbrance on the title of a property to provide Council with the authority to carry out whatever works are required on drainage infrastructure within the easement. The infrastructure can include open drainage channels, below ground pipe systems and grated inlets that are designed to accept allotment and roof water together with larger upstream catchment stormwater flows.

If you wish to formally manage dispute resolutions, you may consider contacting the Community Justices Centre. The Centre offers free advice and mediation services and can be contacted on 1800 990 777 or through their website www.cjc.nsw.gov.au.

For emergency help in flood events, contact the State Emergency Service (SES) on 132 500.

Report illegal advertising by visiting the below link;

 Snap Send Solve 

Section 68, Part E (2)

Section 626 (3)