One suburb, two councils
Kingston: termite prone since 2018
On 22 October 2018, Kingston City Council resolved to designate the whole of the City of Kingston a termite prone area. Kingston lists Cheltenham among its suburbs.
Bayside: not designated, still at risk
Part of Cheltenham is in Bayside, which says it isn't a designated termite area, so new works there aren't required to be protected against subterranean termites. Bayside still says there's always a risk of attack, and that protection should always be considered.
Same street, same termites
A designation is a building rule for new work, set council by council. It isn't a map of where termites live, so don't read a council boundary as a reason to skip an inspection.
Wasps and spring swarms
Kingston says European wasps nesting on your property are your responsibility to have removed. Bayside says not to tackle a nest yourself: keep children and pets away and call a pest business. Bee swarms usually show up in spring, Kingston says, and those go to a beekeeper.
Which side are you on?
Your rates notice shows your council. For a renovation or extension, ask your building surveyor how the designation affects the work. For the house you're living in now, the rule makes little difference: what matters is what an inspection finds.
If a termite inspector does come, ask them to note any activity, damage, and conditions that invite termites, like damp subfloors or timber touching soil.
Buying in Cheltenham?
- Book your own timber pest inspection. Consumer Affairs Victoria says your own report is the only way to be sure it's independent.
- Check which council the property is in before you plan any building work.
- On a newer home or extension, look for the termite notice in the meter box.
- Remember a building inspection is a separate job, by a separate profession.
If it were our place in Cheltenham
We'd ignore the boundary and book a termite inspection either way. Have a pest business treat any European wasp nest, and leave spring swarms to a beekeeper. When you're ready, 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.
