Our local laws enable us to maintain a thriving Yarra by ensuring everyone enjoys a safe and vibrant environment. They guide our actions on managing unsightly properties, community safety, amenity concerns, outdoor dining, building/construction, and more. These laws prevent individual actions from negatively impacting our shared community.

To keep pace with evolving community needs and legislation, we are seeking your feedback. This new Local Law will replace the previous one, reflecting emerging issues and strengthening our ability to protect Yarra's unique character and public spaces.

Ultimately, these laws empower us to uphold community health, safety, and amenity by setting clear guidelines for public and private behaviour, with appropriate consequences for non-compliance.

The Local Law's main objectives are summarised as follows:

• Protecting public health & safety
• Maintaining and enhancing community amenity
• Regulating the use of public space and Council assets
• Provisions for keeping of certain animals
• Ensuring compliance with the relevant legislation

This review allows us to evaluate the effectiveness of the current Local Law in addressing the municipality's specific needs and challenges, particularly considering:

• Yarra's rapidly growing population
• The associated current and future challenges to meet the needs of the expected future population and demographics
• Recognising several policy changes, service changes and new emerging issues.

The current Local Law sunsets on 1 September 2026. We are now beginning the process of reviewing our Local Law to ensure the new document includes changes in legislation and reflects contemporary issues experienced by our community.

Once adopted, the new Community Local Law will be in place for the next 10 years. Because this will shape our community for years to come, we want to hear from you. Your feedback is vital to getting it right.

We received all your feedback through Stage One Engagement and this has now been incorporated into the new draft Community Local Law. For a full list of changes to the Community Local Law, please refer to the Detailed Table of Changes. This outlines every change we have made.

No, the Community Local Law is still in draft. We've incorporated community feedback from Stage One Engagement and are now presenting the changes for another round of Community Consultation.

Our current Local Law is almost 10 years old. There have been a number of changes over these 10 years from new emerging issues to State and Federal legislation changes. We need to ensure that our Local Law is able to address these new issues, doesn’t conflict with State or Federal legislation changes and is meeting the needs and expectations of our community.

To provide feedback, you can do so by completing the online survey on our Your Say Yarra page or visit us in person at one of the scheduled pop-up sessions. Please provide your feedback between Monday 2 February and 9am Monday 2 March 2026.

We will have QR codes around Yarra as well as at our Libraries, Leisure Centres, Community Centres and more.

We’ve listened to the community following Stage One Engagement - now you can tell us what you think of the Draft Community Local Law. Feedback will help us understand if we have missed anything, if anything is still confusing or there is more work that can still be done.

Feedback will influence the clauses that are included in the new draft Community Local Law and how they impact the amenity of residents, businesses, and visitors to Yarra.

Your feedback will ensure that we have listened, and nothing was missed before we endorse the Local Law mid this year.

The community can't influence:

• The need to have a Local Law.
• Safety related clauses that are included in the new draft Local Law and how they impact the amenity of residents, businesses, and visitors to Yarra.
• Legal Constraints are present and mandated by legislation or other regulatory frameworks, which are non-negotiable.
• Standard levels that are required for management of areas within the new draft Local Law.
• Some permit requirements to ensure adequate regulatory powers.
• Penalties for offences will be included in the new draft Local Law as there must be some implications for failing to comply with the relevant offence.

The Local Law covers a significant number of matters that happen within our community. There are 96 sections or parts within our current Local Law. For more detailed information, please visit our webpage.

• Parking Enforcement – This is enforced under State Legislation, Road Safety Act and Road Safety Road Rules.
• Planning Enforcement – This is enforced under State Legislation, Planning & Environment Act.
• Certain aspects of Domestic Animal Enforcement (animal registration, dog attacks, etc) – This is enforced under State Legislation, Domestic Animals Act 1994 and associated regulations. The Local Law does address the keeping of animals.
• Building Permits or Planning Permits – This is administered under State Legislation, Planning & Environment Act, Building Act and associated regulations. The Local Law does address the building/construction processes and requirements.
• Certain types of Noise – This is enforced under State Legislation, Public Health & Wellbeing Act, Planning & Environment Act, Environmental Protect Act and associated regulations. The Local Law does cover noise such as early morning deliveries, private waste collections, amplified music on Council land.

The closing date for feedback on the draft Community Local Law, Footpath Trading and Parklet Policy is 9am on Monday 2 March 2026.

Following the consultation period, we will review all feedback and, where appropriate, we will use it to further inform our draft Community Local Law. The draft Community Local Law document will be further refined and go to a Council meeting for adoption.

The revisions to the Local Law and policies will combine community feedback with Council Officer advice, legal advice, accessibility review, statutory laws and other policies and ultimately Council endorsement.