Compliance and enforcement
It is your responsibility to ensure compliance with all requirements of the relevant legislation. To assist in complying with these requirements, a range of tools and resources has been developed.
Tools and resources
The tools and resources developed by Council allow you to know what the relevant law is, what the requirements are, and ways you can reduce health risks. These tools will assist in resolving issues without involving Council or will minimise the involvement of Council.
Lead
Preventing illness
- Kids and bats can't be friends poster (PDF 694KB).
- Living near flying foxes.
- Preventing illness in animal contact areas (PDF 263KB).
Water
- Water quality information.
- Flouride resources and forms.
- Guidelines for the collection, care and control of rainwater in tanks (PDF 101KB).
- Guidance on the use of rainwater tanks (PDF 587KB).
- Rainwater tanks - a guide to keeping your tank safe (PDF 818KB).
- Water and sanitation related diseases.
- Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
Wastewater
Regulation (Inspection process)
Legislation requires Council to respond to complaints received. This response will depend on the complaint history, current compliance status and the risk of the alleged offence. Actions taken by Council may include:
- sending an advisory letter and fact sheet to both the alleged offender and the complainant
- conducting an onsite investigation.
Enforcement
Council is legally required to enforce public health standards. If you have difficulty complying with the legislative requirements, contact Council for assistance or advice.
Failure to comply with the requirements, may result in one or more of the following enforcement actions:
- a letter being issued requiring action or work to be conducted
- a public health order being issued requiring action to be taken or work to be conducted
- a legal notice being issued requiring action to be taken or work to be conducted
- issuing of a Penalty Infringement Notice (PIN) or on-the-spot fine
- prosecution.
Complaint management
Should you have a problem or issue, always attempt to discuss the issue directly with the person responsible for the nuisance in order to try and achieve a solution. Give them an appropriate time frame to do something about it. If the situation hasn't changed after that time, it may then be necessary to contact the appropriate authority.
Council only has jurisdiction to act on some public health risk matters, and shares the responsibility of public health risks with other government agencies. Different health risks may be addressed by different agencies.
Asbestos
- Asbestos at a business or commercial premises or a contractor conducting work - contact Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.
- Asbestos which is not at a workplace (homeowner carrying out works to own home) - contact Council.
Drinking water
- Located on residential land and some commercial land - contact Council.
Illegal drug laboratories (clan labs)
- Current operation of illegal drug manufacturing – contact Queensland Police Service.
- Previous illegal drug manufacturing in a property – visit complaints about clan labs.
Lead based paint removal and cleaning
- Occurring at a workplace (contractor) - contact Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.
- Occurring at a non-workplace (homeowner carrying out works to own home) - contact Council.
- For other complaints about lead based paint, contact Queensland Health.
Mosquitoes
- Breeding (or potential for breeding) on Council, residential and commercial land - contact Council.
Rats and mice
- Harbouring (or potential for harbouring) on Council, residential and commercial land - contact Council.
Waste
- Accumulation or deposit on residential and commercial land - contact Council.
Wastewater
- Wastewater and sewage on residential and commercial land (defective septic tank or onsite treatment facility, overflowing toilet) - contact Council.