Local law and animal fines
On this page:
If you breach any state legislation or local law you can be fined. State legistration or local laws breaches can relate to but not limited to animals, unslightly property, littering and dumped rubbish. It is important to familiarise yourself with the Moreland City Council Local Laws, State legislation (e.g. EPA and Animals Act) and information on our responsible pet ownership page to ensure you do not break the law.
Moreland City Council changed its name to Merri-bek City Council on 26 September 2022. Moreland City Council General Local Law 2018 is still valid until a new Local Law is made.
Pay your animal or local laws fine
- You need the 'infringement number' located on your notice.
- You must pay the whole fine and not just a partial amount. If you need to pay in installments please read below.
- You cannot pay the fine if the fine has been referred to the courts for prosecution.
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You can pay your parking fine by phone with a Visa or MasterCard 24 hours a day using our secure automated system.
To pay your parking fine by phone:
- Call 9240 1111 and press 1 to make a payment. Then press 1 to pay 'fines and infringements' and follow the voice prompts.
- You will need to provide the 'Infringement number' located on your notice and your Visa or MasterCard number details.
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You can pay your parking fine by post by:
- Separating the payment slip at the bottom of the notice and mailing it (before the due date) with your cheque or money order to: Merri-bek City Council, Locked Bag 10, Brunswick VIC 3056.
- Make the cheque or money order payable to ‘Merri-bek City Council’ and cross it 'Not negotiable'. Do not include cash in the mail.
We do not provide a receipt for payments received by mail. Please keep the top section of the notice for your records.
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You can pay your parking fine in person by:
- Bringing your fine to a Customer Service Centre before the due date. You can find the locations of our Customer Service Centres on our Contact us page.
- You can pay by Visa or MasterCard, EFTPOS, cheque, money order and cash. The minimum payment for all card transactions is $10 and there is no cash out facility.
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You can pay your parking fine on our eServices website.
Request a payment plan to pay your animal or local laws fine
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You can request to pay your fine through a payment plan if you have either:
- a Pensioner concession card, DVA Gold Card TPI (Total and Permanently Incapacitated), DVA Gold Card WW (War Widow), or Health Care Card
- more than one fine
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A payment plan is a formal agreement with us and is available for a maximum of 6 months.
Missing a payment or not making the initial payment will cause the payment plan to be cancelled. The fine will then proceed through the enforcement process and may incur additional costs.
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Apply online: You can set up a payment plan with us by completing the online Payment Plan Application Form.
Complete an online Payment Plan Application Form
By phone: You can set up a payment plan with us by calling 9240 1111.
In some circumstances, you might need to complete our Payment plan application form (PDF). Once you have filled in this form you can either:
- Mail it to Merri-bek City Council, Locked Bag 10, Brunswick VIC 3056
- Fax it to 9240 1212
- Email a scanned copy of the form to CSAenquiries@merri-bek.vic.gov.au
The application for a payment plan must be received by us before the due date.
Please note: if you get a fine from us, you have 28 days to pay or arrange a payment plan. Alternatively, if you meet certain circumstances, you can appeal your fine.
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You can pay an installment on your payment plan on our eServices website. You will need to enter the notice number and the agreed payment plan amount will appear.
Request a payment extension to pay your animal or local laws fine
An extension of time to pay may be granted at Council's discretion. You can apply for a due-date extension by calling us on 9240 1111.
Appeal a local laws fine or animal fine
If you have recently received a local laws or animal fine, by law you can request only one internal review of your fine, which means you need to provide all the relevant details to help us make a decision.
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Infringements legislation provides the following five review categories:
- Contrary to law: you believe you didn’t commit an offence.
- Exceptional circumstances: there were unforeseen and verifiable circumstances outside of your control that could excuse your conduct.
- Mistaken identity: you believe the fine was issued to the incorrect person or vehicle. For example, you weren’t in the alleged location.
- Special circumstances: this is a specific term defined in legislation, where a person is unable to either understand or control the conduct that led to the offence due to:
- a mental or intellectual disability, disorder, disease or illness
- a serious addiction to drugs, alcohol, or a volatile substance
- homelessness
- family violence
- Person unaware: you did not receive Council notices because you have changed your address. Please note, you must contact Council if you have changed your postal/mailing address in relation to your Rates and other Council services. You must also notify VicRoads within 14 days of moving to the new address.
In this case, you need to appeal within 14 days of becoming aware and provide evidence that you weren't aware. If you changed address, you must have notified VicRoads within 14 days of moving. We will not withdraw the infringement on these grounds.
More information is available on the Victorian Government Fines Victoria website.
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You need to provide all relevant information and supporting documentation to us when you request a review.
If insufficient information is provided, we may not accept the review or we may contact you for additional details. If this information is not received by the specified date, a decision will be made based on the information we have.
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By law, we have up to 90 days to respond to an appeal.
When we receive an appeal, the fine is placed on hold. You are not required to pay the fine or do anything during the review period.
When we carry out an internal review of a fine, we consider all available information, including:
- information collected by the issuing officer
- circumstances outlined in your request
- supporting documentation provided, and
- requirements under the relevant legislation.
Once a decision is made, we advise you of the outcome. Should the fine be upheld, you will be advised of a new payment date.
At this time, if you do not pay the infringement, or request an extension, by the due date the fine may incur additional costs.
You can apply for a payment extension by calling our Customer Service team on 9240 1111.
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Property Nomination
Where a property is rented/leased and a fine or Notice to Comply issued, the property owner may nominate the occupier(s) only if the property owner can demonstrate that they have a lease agreement with the occupier that puts the onus on the occupier to maintain the property.
A copy of the lease agreement will need to be submitted with the nomination. Without this, the onus is on the property owner and the nomination cannot be accepted. The lease agreement must include the following:
- Property details
- Dates of rental agreement
- Names of tenants/renters being nominated
- the tenant/occupier is responsible for maintaining the property;
- the tenant/occupier shall not use or allow the premises to be used in such a manner as to cause nuisance to any occupier or neighbouring premises etc.
You may send the required details and documents to info@merri-bek.vic.gov.au or by submitting a request for review and attaching the documents via Council’s website.
Request a local law fine review
Animal Nomination
Nominations for animal fines are unavailable as the responsibility falls to person in charge of the animal at the time of the infringement.
Vehicle Nomination
If the fine involves a motor vehicle please complete the Nomination Statement Form (DOC) and return to info@merri-bek.vic.gov.au.
*Please note that in some instances nominations are not available.
How to appeal a local law or animal fine
If your reason for wanting to appeal your fine is listed above, then you must apply for the review within 28 days of receiving your fine.
When you request an appeal, you need to make sure you have a copy of your infringement, any photos related to it and any other supporting letters or documents you may need.
There are two ways you can request a review:
Appeal a local laws or animal fine online
Or by filling in the Application for Internal Review form (DOC 71Kb) and either mailing it to Merri-bek City Council, Locked Bag 10, Brunswick VIC 3056 or deliver to one of our Customer Service Centres.
Please do not contact the Mayor or Councillors regarding fine reviews, as Victorian state law prevents them from playing any role in this process.
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Once we receive your review request, we will respond to you within 90 days. While we review your fine, it will be put on hold until a decision is made.
We will let you know the outcome of your review request when this is decided. If we do not agree to cancel your fine, we will give you a new payment date.
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If your fine is not cancelled you may elect to have the matter dealt with in the Magistrates Court. You need to notify Council in writing by mailing Merri-bek City Council, Locked Bag 10 Brunswick 3056 by the due date.
It is important to be aware that Court lodgement fees will be applied if you request to go to court.
If the matter is found in Council’s favour, Council will seek an order to have the lodgement fees added to the infringement amount. Once the fine is lodged with the Courts, if you change your mind and decide to pay the fine, you will be required to pay the lodgement fee incurred by Council along with the original fine amount.
Court elect fees
For a single offence the fee is $87.20 and for multiple offences the fee is $131.50 (subject to increase 1 July each year).