Fences

• A Fence is a vertical, or near vertical structure that is used as a barrier to enclose an area of land. 
• A Dividing Fence is a fence that separates the land of different owners whether the fence is on the common boundary of adjoining lands or on a line other than the common boundary. A dividing fence does not include a retaining wall. 
• A Front Fence is any fence that is to be constructed along the front boundary or within the front setback area, including those portions of the side boundary fence. 
• A Sufficient Fence is a fence prescribed by the local government local law or a fence that is agreed upon by adjoining owners provided that it does not fall below the standard prescribed by the relevant local government local law. 
• A Primary Street is the sole or principal public road that provides access to a site. 
• A Secondary Street is, in the case of a site that has access from more than one public road, a road that is not the primary street, but which intersects with or adjoins that road. 
• The Front Setback Area is the area between the street alignment and the street setback line as required for the area. For the majority of properties in Karratha the street setback line is 6m from the front boundary.  

Call 9186 8555 to confirm the street setback line for specific allotments and discuss the zoning requirements for your area with the City’s Planning Team. 

Yes, a Building Permit is required for all fences within the City of Karratha. 

Along with your application, please include:  

• a full site plan showing the location of the fence or wall in relation to the property boundaries and existing buildings on the property. This plan is to be drawn to a minimum scale of 1:200 
• engineering drawings certified by a Structural Engineer. The engineering drawings must include details of the design criteria to which they have been designed, such as wind region, importance level, terrain category. 
• unless clearly detailed in the engineering drawings, an elevation of the proposed fence may also be required. 

Either the property owner or the party contracted to construct the fences or walls must submit the application. 

The maximum height depends on the type of fence you want to build:  

• Dividing fences – 1.8 metres 
• Fences facing the Primary Street – 1.8 metres. Fencing above a height of 1.2 metres is to be visually permeable in accordance with the R Codes
• Fences facing the Secondary Street or a Reserve – 1.8 metres. 

A dividing fence can be located on the boundary line of your property, but a front fence must be located within your property boundaries. There are specific requirements in the R Codes for sight lines around driveways where the fence is higher than 750mm and solid in appearance.