Your neighbourhood
We all like to live in a place we call ‘home’, whether it is a house or an apartment. The space within the walls or between our fences makes us feel comfortable. We also like to have nice people living near us. The problem is that sometimes the things we do around our house or in our apartment can upset other people.
Look at this neighbourhood. It is midday. Pick out the things that might cause a dispute between neighbours
Now imagine these things were going on not at midday, but at midnight. Would there be any change in the way neighbours reacted to these things now? Why?
Local government
In Australia, like most other countries, we have local governments, or councils, which pass laws to help neighbours resolve disputes and make our neighbourhoods attractive and pleasant places to live.
Local councils may enforce laws that prevent:
your neighbour building an ugly, dirty factory next to your house
trees from being chopped down without permission
dogs from straying away from a property and threatening neighbours
The law says that we must behave in a reasonable way towards our neighbours.
Imagine you live in one of the houses in the neighbourhood shown here and you have a dispute with your neighbour. In what way would you approach your neighbour to solve the dispute?
Would you:
A polite conversation with the neighbour can often solve the problem. If disputes cannot be settled, neighbours can get help from a mediator. A mediator is a person who listens to each side of the argument and works with the people involved to solve the problem. A mediator does not take sides.
If neighbours still cannot agree even after seeing a mediator, one of them may ask a court to decide what to do. In New South Wales, this is often the Local Court.
Let’s explore
Has your family ever had a dispute with a neighbour? What did your parents do to fix it?
Do you do anything that may annoy your neighbours?
Look for Neighbours and the law (Hot Topic No. 50) at your local library or www.liac.sl.nsw.gov.au/hot What are some problems neighbours have with each other?
Let’s find out
If neighbours can’t agree, they can visit the local community justice centre. Visit their web site at www.cjc.nsw.gov.au
