What can Council do about untidy premises?
In the case where a property is 'unsightly' due to conditions such as tall grass, car bodies or piles of building materials, a Council Officer will visit the property and assess the nature and extent of the problem.
The officer will also check for potential health (e.g. vermin) and safety (e.g. overgrown grass) risks and speak to the owner or occupier where the property is deemed to be unsightly.
An agreement is usually made with the owner/occupier to rectify the problems within an appropriate timeframe. If the owner/occupier of the land does not rectify the problem with the specified time frame, then Council may issue an order for the work be done. If the problem still exists at the time the order has expired, Council will complete the work and charge the owner.
Unsanitary Conditions
Environmental Health Officers are authorised under the South Australian Public Health Act 2011, and are able to investigate complaints regarding housing conditions that may be considered unsanitary.
An unsanitary condition means that the premises may give rise to a risk to health, pose a risk of infestation by rodents or other pests or emit offensive material or odours.
The majority of unsanitary condition complaints that are investigated by Council’s Environmental Health Officer involve concerns regarding large accumulations of refuse on properties and substandard conditions along with vermin infestation.
For further information on this or any other issue please contact Council:
Telephone: (08) 8733 0900
Email: council@wattlerange.sa.gov.au
Postal: PO Box 27, MILLICENT SA 5280