Most people do not need a permit. But if you get it wrong you can cop a fine from council, so it is worth two minutes of reading before you book.
On your own property, no permit needed
If the bin sits on your driveway, in your yard, or anywhere on private property, you generally do not need a permit — the requirement applies to council and public land. The City of Greater Dandenong, for example, states that a permit is required to place a skip bin on council or public land, including roads and reserves. Each council sets its own local laws, so check yours. That said, private property covers the large majority of household jobs.
On the nature strip or road, you need one
The moment a bin sits on council land — the nature strip, the footpath, or the road itself — you need a permit from your local council. Councils across Melbourne each run their own process, their own fees and their own processing times.
Councils set their own fees and their own processing times, and they vary a lot. Check with yours before you book rather than after — the bin cannot go out until the permit is in place.
What councils generally want to know
- The address the bin is going to
- How long it will be there
- The size of the bin and how much road space it takes
- Whether it affects parking or a bus route
Owners corporations and shared driveways
Units and townhouses add a wrinkle. A shared driveway is usually common property, which means the owners corporation has a say even though it is not council land. Worth a phone call before the truck turns up and finds nowhere to put the bin.
If the bin is going on council land
If the bin needs to go on the nature strip, the footpath or the road rather than on your own property, you will need a permit from your local council. Start that before you book — councils each set their own fee and their own processing time, and the bin cannot go out until the permit is in place.
Tell us when you call that it is going on council land, so we can plan the delivery around it. Ring 0432 118 814 and we will talk it through.