Draconian measures

SIR, – Have residents looked at the draft local laws for Horsham council?

Are they aware that washing your car on the nature strip will be an offence? That leaving your trailer or caravan on the nature strip for more than seven days will be an offence?

That businesses and private property owners will no longer be able to put a shipping container on their property without a permit from council?

That unless your backyard meets their requirements, you can only have two dogs?

Or, the big one in my mind, is that a local nuisance such as ‘light, noise, vibration, odour, smoke, fumes, aerosols or particles – including without limitation dust, flyash or cinders’ is determined by the authorised ‘officer’s senses’. This means there will be no objective assessment, and that ‘in the opinion of an authorised officer’ your building, fence, ‘guttering downpipes or drains are not in a good state of repair’ and ‘are out of conformity with the general appearance and amenity of the surrounding area’.

They can force you to make changes or authorise changes and bill you for it. Again, no objective assessment, just the officer’s opinion.

What if they don’t like you? They can use these local laws to target and harass you without recourse. I am not saying they will, but such subjective opinions do leave it open to the possibility of abuse.

All residents should strenuously object to these draconian measures.