# Forum Home Renovation Fences & Screens  fencing (rural) options/opinions

## toooldforthis

although my block is zoned residential R5 it backs onto a national park, which is mostly bush, but there is a bridle path around 20 metres from the rear boundary. Recently riffraff have been coming in this way to my block and being annoying with break-ins etc. I probably havent helped by doing a lot of bush fire hazard reduction which has opened it up a bit.  My primary aim is to keep the unwanted out and in the future keep a dog in.  Rear boundary is 80m.  Current fence is old railway track used as posts, probably around 1.2m to 1.5m high. Wire is broken,rusty  there was two rows of barbed at one stage and maybe 3 rows of plain. 3or 4 posts are missing. The bottom of the fence has to contend with uneven ground and rocky outcrops.       My gut reactionwas to tie star pickets to the existing railway posts to get a height of 1.8m.Put in new posts where required and run some ringlock and two strands of barbed on top. I am not really into straining barbed so thought I would get some pros to look.  These are the options they have presented: 1. Extend post height with star pickets (say 1800mm high)2 strands of barbed on top1500mm high ringlock  2. Leave post height as is (say 1500mm high)2 barbed900mm ringlockPlain wire strands on bottom to take up lieof the land 3. Leave post height as is (say 1500mm high)5 or more barbed 4. Electric fence1 barbed4 electric strandsPlain strand on bottom  Prices havent come in but on site consult said electric would be easiest, probably cheapest and most effective. On reflection ringlock at ground level will be difficult due to rocky terrain so strands there is probably the way to go.  I have had a look at the council regs and they are anti electric and anti barbed. This is based on a zoning of residential.   They might, or might not, listen to an argument of being rural residential since I back onto the park. It is difficult to enquire anonymously and previous experience has been for them to go all nazi when I try to debate a point. I would be willing to chance it on barbed, partly cause that is what is there (the replacing like with like argument) but if someone complained about the electric it might get difficult.

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## Uncle Bob

This font looks like it was typed out on a typewriter lol

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## havabeer

> but if someone complained about the electric it might get difficult.

  and you just know it'll be some prick trying to break in that will get zapped and complain to the council. i guess you could put up the fence of your choice, put a pretend electric fence wire in and just hang a few signs up about the place, might act as a deterant 
if the quotes come in a bit costly remember to have a look on gumtree etc for fencing, if you want to attack it your self 
+1 not a fan of the font

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## OBBob

Bigger dog?  :Smilie:   
You might find that even just a more substantial fence without barbed wire would be enough. Also, would some solar power sensor lights help to deter your new friends?

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## toooldforthis

don't have a dog yet. fencing on rest of property doesn't exist either. 
any opinions on fence height of 1500 v 1800? 
barbed 1500 just as a good a deterrent?  
fully barbed, 5 strands, and dogs getting cut?  sry about that font, don't know how that happened - wasn't intentional.

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## SilentButDeadly

Our rural fence is only 1200 high and no barb. Just five plain wires and some rabbit netting. 
Any attempts to properly strain that fence is going to be 'interesting'.   
I'd go with extra star pickets, plain wires and droppers in between. 1500 high.  
Solar sparky tape works on frisky dogs and horses...might work on feral humans but does tend to imply something about the owner when they have neither dog nor horses. 
Ours is not to reason why. Merely to point and giggle.

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## toooldforthis

guess I am feeling a bit sensitive. 3 break ins. 2 within 6 weeks.
I'll came down I'm sure.
I didn't think of electric fence til fencing contractor suggested it.
I'm not keen on it, but turns out to be the cheapest.
fencer was ok about straining off those railway tracks, apart from the ones that are missing  :Wink:  
might go back to Plan A which is some sculptures and thorny bush.... just takes quite a few years. Better get my act together.

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## toooldforthis

well, the thorny bushes died last xmas while I was away.
and, as you might have read elsewhere been getting a lot of _'visits'_ again recently. 
negotiated with neighbour we didn't need a corner post. required blasting  :Eek:  
almost finished the fence yesterday.
got a _fencing contractor_ in, turns out he is just a rural bloke bit down on his luck.
grumpy, swears a lot, and can only work half days before going lame.
but we are almost finished, apart from the gates - I want access to park too, garrison style gates from gumnuts. 
put star pickets everywhere we could.
ending up doing 115mm high ringlock with 2 strands of barb above.
where the ground dropped away a lot ran some more ringlock as an apron.
backfilled bottom of ringlock with rock - didn't have to look far  :Smilie:  
some points easier to get over than others so then decided to run a 3rd barb on the inside of the railway track posts, so it is offset a bit from the others. will discouraged clamberers  :Rolleyes:  
might slow em down a bit.
probably will just get the real serious ones now.

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## craka

> well, the thorny bushes died last xmas while I was away.
> and, as you might have read elsewhere been getting a lot of _'visits'_ again recently. 
> negotiated with neighbour we didn't need a corner post. required blasting  
> almost finished the fence yesterday.
> got a _fencing contractor_ in, turns out he is just a rural bloke bit down on his luck.
> grumpy, swears a lot, and can only work half days before going lame.
> but we are almost finished, apart from the gates - I want access to park too, garrison style gates from gumnuts. 
> put star pickets everywhere we could.
> ending up doing 115mm high ringlock with 2 strands of barb above.
> ...

  
Hmm stock energiser ?    Think that may deter them a little!

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