What's different in Bentleigh
A whole city declared
Every part of Glen Eira sits under a council declaration, made under the Building Regulations 2018, that buildings are likely to face termite infestation. If you need a building permit to build or extend, the design must meet AS 3660 Termite management. This is a building rule for new work, and it doesn't tell you whether a given street or house has termites.
Timber floors have a clearance rule
Council says timber floors must keep minimum clearances from ground level to the underside of the floor bearers, and that this affects maximum wall heights as well. If you're adding a room, ask your designer early.
Nests are the household's job
Council puts wasp nests and beehives on the homeowner or tenant, and it doesn't remove them from private land. On council property, contact the council. Its fact sheet says European wasp nests are mostly in the ground, near trees and shrubs, or in rubbish, open compost and grass clippings.
Possums
Glen Eira won't lend you a cage or come and collect a possum from your home. Our possum page covers what Victoria does allow.
Extending in Bentleigh? Before the walls come down
- Ask your designer how the plans meet AS 3660.
- Book a timber pest inspection of the existing house, so you know what you're joining onto.
- Plan any new garden beds and paths so they don't bridge the termite system.
- Keep the paperwork for the termite system with the house records for the next owner.
Quieter wasps through summer
Council's tips are simple, and they all take away something that draws wasps in. Clear fallen fruit, bring in the dog's leftovers, keep bin lids tight and compost covered, and put the pool cover on between swims.
Glen Eira's Friends of Elster Creek Trail group plants indigenous species along the trail to support local wildlife, a reminder that birds and possums live in these streets too, not just in the reserves.
If it were our place in Bentleigh
Before any extension, we'd get an inspection first and let its findings shape the plans. For a nest or a noise, tell us what you've seen and your postcode.
Want someone to look at it?
Tell us what you've seen and your postcode, and a local pest business that handles exactly that calls you to talk it through.
