Ranger Services

Council Rangers routinely conduct parking enforcement patrols in all areas within the Lithgow Local Government Area. These patrols involve both high and low visibility patrols to ensure that motorists are complying with the requirements of parking and road related legislation and to create a safe and accessible environment for motorists, pedestrians, residents and visitors.

To report a parking related issue, please contact Council on 02 6354 9999 or via our website.

Learn more about school zone safety and parking rules in the following link.

Local councils in NSW can nominate staff to become enforcement officers under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) to undertake activities that ensure heavy vehicles comply with mass enforcement on local roads for the protection of their asset. Authorisation under the Road Transport Act 2013 extends the HVNL authorisation to the enforcement of mass offences for light vehicles.

Under the HVNL, authorised enforcement officers have the powers to issue formal warnings and infringement notices for minor and substantial mass breaches to offending heavy vehicles. In instances where a severe mass breach is detected, enforcement officers are expected to issue a Court Attendance Notice (CAN).

Authorised officers have the powers under the HNVL to:

• Stop a heavy vehicle
• Issue directions to move a heavy vehicle
• Enter and inspect a heavy vehicle
• Issue directions to reduce and adjust
• Issue formal warnings and infringements.

Enforcement officers will also be authorised for vehicle mass enforcement under the Road Transport Act 2013 as Class 14 Officers to monitor and enforce:

• Mass requirements on roads and bridges
• Load limit signs
• No trucks and no buses signs.

To report operational safety issues relating to heavy vehicle transport activities, please contact the Heavy Vehicle Confidential Reporting Line on 1800 931 785. Any issues that pose an immediate safety risk to a person should be referred to the police (e.g. a traffic crash involving a heavy vehicle, or a heavy vehicle losing its load or swerving over the road).

Rangers investigate matters relating to abandoned and/or unattended articles such as vehicles, boat trailers, caravans, or anything that can be owned by a person (excluding animals).

Rangers will conduct investigations under the Impounding Act 1993 and/or the Public Spaces (Unattended Property) Act 2021. If an article is deemed to have been abandoned or left unattended, Rangers will place a sticker on the article advising that it will be removed from the public space on a specific date if left abandoned or unattended. If the article is not removed or claimed by that date, the article will be impounded.

If there is a risk to public safety or the article is causing an obstruction to traffic Rangers will work with the Police, and the article may be removed immediately. The owner of the article is liable for any costs incurred in the removal and storage of the article as well as any related penalty notices.

Council Rangers will monitor and regulate any unauthorised activities and structures on public land.

Unauthorised activities, structures and articles can be hazardous to the public and cause damage to infrastructure.

Your help in reporting information relating to unauthorised activities is important. To report any unauthorised activities, please contact Council.

Property owners are responsible for ensuring that their property is maintained and does not provide a place for vermin to live and breed. This means keeping properties free of long grass and vegetation, as well as waste.

Properties must be maintained so that they do not become so untidy such they create a threat to public health and safety.

Not all residents have the desire to keep their properties in a ‘park like’ condition and this should be taken into consideration before a complaint is lodged with Council. Many properties may be considered to be untidy, but untidy does not necessarily mean that the property is in an unsafe or unhealthy condition and in need of Council intervention.

The following points are provided as a guide to Council’s service level for the matter of overgrown vegetation:

Criteria for Overgrown Land

1. The property is located in the following residential or business zones (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, B1, B2, B3, B4 or B7) – Council will not respond to requests in relation to overgrown vegetation in rural or industrial areas; and
2. The vegetation is more than 500mm in height; and
3. Over 50% of the land is overgrown to a minimum height of 500mm; and
4. Overgrown vegetation is within 10 metres of the complainant’s dwelling or within 5 metres of their property boundary; and
5. Detailed information/evidence of the harbourage of vermin and impacts upon the complainant are provided.

Please note: overgrown vegetation does not include native vegetation that is protected under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 or the Native Vegetation Act 2003.

Overgrown vegetation that contains “Noxious Weeds” must be directed to Upper Macquarie County Council’s Noxious Weeds Officer who are the Noxious weeds authority for the Lithgow LGA. You can contact Upper Macquarie County Council on 02 6305 6388 or visit their website at www.umcc.nsw.gov.au.

What will Council Do?

Council will not respond to customer requests in relation to the potential fire risk of overgrown vegetation as these requests should be directed to NSW Rural Fire Service.

If overgrown vegetation is considered to be in a state which is likely to render the land unsafe or unhealthy, Council may initiate regulatory action. This would include vegetation that due to its unkept nature would likely be a harbourage for or encourage vermin.

Regulatory action involves the issuing of formal notices and orders directing the property owner to manage and maintain the vegetation on-site for a three (3) year period under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1993.

If Council’s formal notice and/or order is not complied with, enforcement actions (issuing of penalty infringement notices) may be appropriate.

The time taken to have requests for vegetation to be maintained will depend upon several variables but most significantly, weather conditions and the property owner’s willingness to respond to and manage the overgrown vegetation. Council must also abide by legislative timeframes and procedural fairness and therefore the property may remain overgrown for periods of 8-10 weeks following Council’s initial notification.

Native mice, native rats and snakes are not considered to be vermin and are protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974. Should the presence of snakes concern you, it is recommended that you contact the National Parks and Wildlife Service or a wildlife rescue/relocation service.

Council encourages residents to try to solve the problem amicably by talking to the property owner or manager if known. Often people are unaware that their activity or lack of property maintenance is causing a problem and are usually happy to address the problem after being notified.

Council strongly recommends that the owners of vacant land establish an agreement with a slashing or mowing contractor to maintain the land on a regular basis. As a bare minimum, attention should be given to the land in early summer, mid-summer, and early autumn.

Further Information

For further information please contact Council’s Environment Department on 02 6354 9999. 

Rangers are authorised to investigate matters and take enforcement action under the Companion Animals Act 1998 and the Impounding Act 1993.

It should be noted that Council Rangers do not have the power to investigate or take action on any complaints relating to animal neglect or cruelty. To report matters such as these, please see contact information below:

• RSPCA – 1300 278 358
• Police Assistance Line – 131 444

For further information on animals or pets, please visit the Animals section of this website, or contact Council’s Environment Department on 02 6354 9999.