# Forum Home Renovation Fences & Screens  Putting up a new fence

## mun6

Hi  
I'm looking at putting up a fence at the front. Does anyone know if council approval is needed for that? I've heard about blue boards (HardieTex), but how durable are they? There're road noises at where I am, so I was hoping to use something that could help block them out a bit. Would it be a good idea to use blue boards pillars + base and colorbond infills? Like this, except with colorbond:    
My feeling is that, with less blue board and more colorbond, there should be less chance of cracking?  
Thanks for the help in advance.

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## toooldforthis

check your local council
normally you wouldn't be allowed a "solid" fence at the front

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## mun6

> check your local council
> normally you wouldn't be allowed a "solid" fence at the front

  Is the type in the photo typically considered solid?

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## joynz

If in Victoria, from memory, you can have a front fence up to 1.3 meters if brick or 1.5 m if wooden or other non-brick material without any special permission.   
Solid or non solid doesn't matter! 
On some roads you can get permission for a taller fence - depending on the type of road, the height of neighbouring fences etc

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## toooldforthis

> Is the type in the photo typically considered solid?

  you said:  

> use blue boards pillars + base and colorbond *infills*

  my previous next door neighbour had your sort of pillars etc on his front and filled it in with colourbond sheets and council made him take it down.
but as joynz said, council can overrule guidelines for busy roads etc. 
your locations just says Aust. so hard to advise.

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## lazydays

No problems on the Gold Coast...just keep it under two meters high. 
Fencing is permitted to a maximum height of two (2) metres above natural ground level before a Referral Agency Assessment Application is required from the City of Gold Coast (City) as a Referral Agency.
         Further restrictions also apply to corner allotments. Should a  fence be proposed in conjunction with and over a retaining wall, the  combined height of more than two (2) metres would also require a  Referral Agency Assessment Application to the City.
         Frontage fences that comply may:   include a 50 per cent open fence type constructionprovide recesses for landscape plantings that are  designed to a minimum 600 millimetre depth and 600 millimetre width over  50 per cent of the length of the frontage fenceprovide a minimum offset of 600 millimetres from the  road front boundary to allow for the inclusion of landscaping over a  minimum 50 per cent of the length of the frontage fence, andprovide for plantings immediately behind any existing  frontage fence over a minimum 50 per cent of the length of the frontage  fence, capable of achieving a maximum growth height of 2.5 to four (4)  metres at maturity.
         Fencing within the waterfront setback area is limited to a  maximum height of 1.2 metres and shall be of an open design to the  satisfaction of the City.

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