Any New South Welsh landowners?

OskarDoLittle

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So the other half and I are still negotiating on a property on the NSW/Qld border. I've been trying to find info regarding boundary fencing down there (I'm currently in Qld). Specifically I know that some states (eg Tassie) have legislated a minimum requirement for boundary fences on farms. Down there it's something like a 7strand barbed wire fence (or better). As the cost to have a contractor do this runs to about $5700 per km, it can quickly add up on a 400acre block. I've been unable to find anything similar when I google, but may not be using sensible search terms. Does anyone have any knowledge of a similar requirement, or how I might go about finding that out?
 

ClissAT

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The local council are in charge of & will have the relevant bylaws you are seeking, Oscar. Also remember that your neighbours are required to share the cost of the basic fencing 50/50.

In Qld it is generally a 4 barb fence suitable to hold average cattle or horses. 5barbs if calves are involved.
The bylaw used to demand split or round natural timber posts but these days it is just as easy & lawful to have concrete or galvanized steel posts, etc. So the emphasis is on holding stock adequately.

However when it comes to neighbours sharing the cost, the bylaw is taken as the basic type of fencing & that cost is split 50/50. On top of that each landholder can pay for additions to that basic fencing as they see fit. For example one neighbour might want to have electric wires & offsets for horses, whereas the other neighbour really doesn't want to run stock at all but is still required by law to pay for half the basic fence.

However that cattle/horse type 4barb fence type is because Qld is mostly cattle country rather than sheep country which is what the Tassie bylaws are reflecting. Old style sheep fence used to be 7strand plain & barb combo on timber posts. It then went to steel posts with sheep mesh & plain top wires.

NSW is a bit of both cattle & sheep particularly in the area you are looking in.
I am thinking Tamworth or Goondiwindi type areas.
There is a lot of grain grown these days so boundary fencing is not absolutely necessary.
It is up to the land holder to construct fencing suitable to hold the type of stock they want to keep. But again, if you don't want to keep stock but the neighbour does & the fence needs fixing or renewing, then you are responsible for half the cost of the basic type of fencing. Conversely if you want to buy the land to run stock, then all your neighbours are required to cough up half of the cost of basic fencing along the portion they & you share. On top of that you pay for any additional style of fence you wish to have. So if you have a heap of neighbours you have to get quotes & contracts with each individual land owner (not the tenant, unless they are responsible for the fencing) so your completed boundary fence may take years to complete.

So if you are buying current or ex grain growing land & it doesn't have fencing, then you probably wont be required to fence it as a matter of course if no-one is keeping stock. Or you might only be wanting to keep a house cow somewhere inside your property near your house so you would fence that paddock yourself but still not need boundary fencing.

As soon as you want to run stock across your whole property, it is your responsibility to securely fence them in so they cant escape from your land. But your neighbours have to foot half the basic bill.
Sheep fencing is more likely these days to be 3plain, 2barb & sheep mesh on steel posts (star pickets) & intermittent strainers.

Whereas cattle fencing will only need to be 4 or 5 barbs on sturdy posts including steelies as in suspension fencing where a strainer is placed every 200-300m or thereabouts (on plains or Downs land) with steelies every 20-30m inbetween (ie 10 steelies then a strainer). 4barbs is enough for grown cattle but 5barbs are required if you intend to have breeders with young calves.

The issues arise when irate or financially poor neighbours are forced to cough up for fencing they don't want or cant afford, so you all end up in court keeping the lawyers well fed.
Fences & trees over fences are the main trouble makers in local bylaws.
 
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