By JOLENE OGLE
COUNCILLOR Sandy Bolton is leading the movement towards happy, healthy communities and said the best place to start was with the people next door.
“When it comes to neighbour conflict, about 30 per cent of complaints to council result in a ‘tit for tat’ situation,” Cr Bolton said.
“If one neighbour complains the other will find something to complain about too. There are no winners in this situation.
“When a complaint goes straight to council, the offending person is usually the last to know there is even an issue.”
Cr Bolton said conflict resolution was all about communication.
“Go over to your neighbour and have a chat. Talk about what’s bothering you and work out a solution,” she said.
“I understand some people can find it hard to approach others about issues, but your neighbour will be much happier having the conversation with you than with a council officer.”
Cr Bolton said the most common issues between neighbours included constant noise, pet behaviour, overflow of water from other properties, fences, and overhanging trees.
“Sometimes your neighbour is unaware these things are causing issues,” she said.
“You need to have a conversation with your neighbour, and take an approach of tolerance and flexibility.
“Good, happy neighbours means a good happy street and a good happy community.”
