City of Fremantle
Coastal Charm
A retaining wall or another suitable method is required to stabilise an earth embankment.
The person who changes the natural ground level by either excavation or filling.
1. A building permit is required to be obtained prior to the construction, erection, assembly or placement of a retaining wall if: a) The retaining wall retains ground more than 0.5m in height, and b) Is associated with other building work or with the protection of land adjoining the land on which the retaining wall is located; and c) Is work of a kind to which section 76, 77, 78 or 79 of the Building Act 2011 relates.
This information can be obtained from the Building Regulations 2012, schedule 6, cl.2 – Table.
All retaining walls regardless of the height must be designed by a qualified Practising Structural Engineer.
Building Permit check sheets are available from the City’s website, part of the Building information section.
In addition to this, you may also require a Development Approval from the City’s Planning Department. Please contact the City’s Planning team on planning@fremantle.wa.gov.au or 1300 MY FREO (1300 693 736) should you require additional information regarding whether an approval is required.
A downloadable version of the above information is available below.
The Dividing Fences Act 1961 is an act relating to the construction and repair of dividing fences between certain lands and for incidental and other purposes.
Generally, the City does not require you to obtain a building permit to construct a dividing or boundary fence using materials such as fibro-cement sheets, colorbond or timber.
The Building Regulations 2012, schedule 4 – states whether a building permit is required, depending on the type of fence to be installed, which is usually determined by the height requirements.
Construction, erection, assembly or placement of a fence, screen or similar structure, other than a fence forming part of a barrier to a private swimming pool, if –
(a) the fence, screen or similar structure is constructed in accordance with a local law made under the Local Government Act 1995 section 9.60 that applies to the construction of the fence, screen or similar structure in the district in which the fence, screen or similar structure is, or is to be, located; or
(b) the fence, screen, or similar structure is, or is to be, located in a district in which there is no local law of a type referred to in paragraph (a) and the fence, screen or similar structure –
(i) if constructed of masonry, is no more than 0.75m in height; and
(ii) if constructed of a material other than masonry, is no more than 1.8m in height; and
(iii) is not located in wind region C or D as defined in AS 1170.2.
There are information check sheets available on the City’s website to provide advice of the minimum information required to submit an application for building permit, if one is required. In addition to this, you may also require a Development Approval. Please contact the City’s Planning department should you require additional information regarding whether an approval is required.
Information regarding dividing fence matters can be obtained from the following link.
