Walk your fence line now for loose posts, sagging mesh, tired gate latches and overhanging branches, keep the pool barrier closed and clear to climb, and know that a storm-damaged dividing fence is normally a shared cost, while a falling tree does not automatically make its owner liable.
Fallen trees made up more than a third of the storm work NSW SES did last season. The SES responded to more than 23,000 incidents, including 18,905 storm-related, about 7,000 of them fallen trees. Our estimate: 7,000 ÷ 18,905 is about 37%, so roughly one storm job in three was a tree down.
For anyone with a fence, that is the number that matters. Trees come down on boundary fences, pool barriers and gates, and the season they come down in is now. NSW Storm Season falls between September and April.
The short answer is this:
- Walk your fence line now.
- Trim what hangs over it.
- Tie down anything that could blow into it.
- Check the pool gate still closes and latches on its own.
If a tree does flatten a shared fence, the cost question has a default answer, covered below.
Fallen trees top the storm jobs worth planning for
Last season's NSW SES work
Roofs came close behind trees. The SES counted more than 6,500 leaking or damaged roofs in the same season.
The SES also warns that unsecured trampolines and outdoor furniture can become "lethal projectiles". A fence line is often where those things stop, or where they break through.
That is why the SES "Get ready" list includes trimming trees and branches that could fall on the home or property. A fence is part of the property.
How busy storm season was in the Hunter and on the Central Coast
Storm incidents, September 2025 to April 2026, as reported by the Newcastle Herald
Locally, the Newcastle Herald reported more than 1,200 storm incidents in the Hunter, 1,072 in Gosford, 440 in Newcastle, 313 in Cessnock and 186 in Maitland from September 2025 to April 2026.
A drier outlook is no reason to skip the check. As the SES told the Herald, "even in years where drier conditions may be expected, we can see severe storms".
The outlook points the same way:
- The Bureau of Meteorology says spring is a peak time for severe thunderstorms along the east coast, and El Niño is likely to strengthen through spring and summer.
- The SES notes El Niño can bring greater weather variability, including damaging winds, intense rainfall, large hail and flash flooding.
- The Bureau's latest outlook adds that warm sea surface temperatures can fuel storms and rain systems.
None of that means a storm will hit your street. It means the odds are worth a walk around the yard.
A storm does not need to be severe to do damage. In early October, an Ulladulla tornado reached a 98 km/h gust front, hit 15 properties and uprooted trees, according to the ABC. The Bureau called it "sub-severe". That was on the South Coast, not the Hunter, but the lesson travels.
The fence walk-around: what to check, post by post
- Gate. Hinges, latch: does it swing and close?
- Boundary fence run. Posts upright and firm, bases not rusted or lifting, chainwire or mesh not sagging, fixings tight.
- Under a neighbour's tree. Overhanging branches, vines and debris on the fence.
- Near the house. Trampoline and outdoor furniture: secure loose items. The SES warns they can become "lethal projectiles".
- Pool barrier. Gate self-closes and self-latches, nothing in the 90 cm non-climbable zone (plus 30 cm inside the pool area). Where the boundary fence forms part of the pool barrier: 1.8 m.
This is the walk-around Chainwire Fencing Specialist suggests for any boundary, rural or security fence. Start at the gate and work along the line.
- Posts. Push each one. A post that leans or moves at the base is the weak point a gust or a falling limb will find first.
- Bases. Look for rust at ground level, cracked footings or a post lifting out of the soil.
- Mesh. Sagging chainwire catches debris and gives under load. Our guide to whether your chainwire fence needs tightening covers what slack looks like.
- Gates. Swing every gate. Check the hinges, and check that the latch catches cleanly. Our guide to chain link gate latches helps if one needs replacing.
- Fixings. Tension wires, ties and bolts should all be tight.
- Load on the fence. Vines, stacked timber, shade cloth and leaf build-up turn an open mesh into something closer to a sail. Clear them off.
For the longer-term routine, see how to maintain and repair a chainwire fence.
If posts need replacing, lodge a free enquiry with Before You Dig Australia before any excavation. Note too that councils may restrict fence height or materials, for example in bushfire-prone areas. Our page on fence types for bushfire-prone areas picks that up.
Trees, trampolines and outdoor furniture near the fence
The SES advice for this season is plain: secure loose items, clean gutters, trim trees and overhanging branches, and set up Hazards Near Me watch zones.
Trimming has two legal catches:
- Some trees are protected by a tree preservation order, so check with council before cutting.
- If the branch belongs to the neighbour's tree, do not enter a neighbour's land without permission.
Talk to them first.
Pool fences: what a storm can knock out of line
Elevation
Section through the fence
Our spring pool-fence check walked through the rules in full, and our NSW pool fencing regulations page has the background. This section covers the storm angle only.
The obligation does not pause for weather. Owners must at all times keep the pool surrounded by a child-resistant barrier, keep gates closed, and keep the fence maintained to the relevant Australian Standard. A gap opened by a storm is a repair to arrange straight away.
After wind or a fallen limb, check these:
- The gate. It must swing outwards, self-close from any open position and self-latch. A knocked post can stop all three.
- The gaps. There should be no bottom gap over 10 cm and no gaps over 10 cm between vertical bars. Washed-out soil under the fence can open the bottom gap.
- Height. The barrier must be at least 1.2 m high, and 1.8 m where a boundary fence forms part of it.
- The non-climbable zone. Keep trees, shrubs, barbecues, pots, ladders and chairs out of the 90 cm zone, which also extends 30 cm inside the pool area. A bent limb or a chair blown against the fence breaks it. So can debris that leaves climbable horizontal bars less than 90 cm apart.
- Fixings. Check bolts, screws and fasteners are tight, and lubricate self-closing hinges, locks and latches.
Know one thing before any rebuild. If the barrier is modified or altered, the current Act, Regulation and AS1926.1-2012 apply and previous exemptions cease. Ask your council or certifier whether the repair you have in mind counts.
Councils can also direct owners to bring barriers into compliance.
Who pays when a storm damages a dividing fence
| Situation | Usual cost position (Legal Aid NSW) |
|---|---|
| Damaged, destroyed or deteriorated "sufficient" dividing fence | Normally shared equally |
| One owner wants a higher standard than sufficient | May not be shared equally |
| An owner or occupier damaged the fence | May not be shared equally |
| Neighbour is a public authority | Councils do not have to contribute |
| Fence is part of a pool fence | Pool owner usually pays that section |
| Work done without agreement or a Fencing Order, and not urgent | May not be shared equally |
| Urgent work where serving a notice was impractical | Can still claim half, but only if there was a fence before |
The default is a split. Normally neighbours share equally the cost of repairing or replacing a dividing fence that has been damaged, destroyed or has deteriorated, provided it is a "sufficient" dividing fence.
The exceptions matter after a storm. Costs may not be shared equally if one owner wants a higher standard, if an owner or occupier damaged the fence, or if the neighbour is a public authority. Councils do not have to contribute. If the fence is part of a pool fence, the pool owner usually pays that section.
A tree that falls in a storm does not automatically make its owner liable: a neighbour is only responsible if they knew, or should have known, the tree was dangerous.
If you cannot agree, either owner can serve a Fencing Notice, and if it is still unresolved after a month, apply to the Local Court or NCAT for Fencing Orders. Our page on legal rules for fencing in NSW walks through the Dividing Fences Act in more detail.
Urgent repairs: fixing first and claiming half later
Sometimes a fence cannot wait for a notice. Legal Aid NSW says that if a dividing fence is damaged and it is impractical to serve a Fencing Notice, for example for safety or security, one neighbour may do urgent work without notice or an order and still claim half.
Two limits apply:
- There must have been a fence before. You cannot claim urgent costs for a fence that never existed.
- The clock runs. A neighbour disputing an urgent-work claim must apply to the Local Court or NCAT within one month of completion, and a claimant applies within six years.
Legal Aid's own advice is to get legal advice, because a tribunal may not agree the work was urgent, and to put any agreement in writing. Follow it.
Where a business site or yard is left open, Chainwire Fencing Specialist also supplies temporary fencing. That can hold the boundary while the permanent repair is agreed.
After a storm: what to do, in order
After a storm, in order
- Safety first. Call SES on 132 500 for storm help and 000 if life is threatened. A leaning fence is not an SES emergency unless it is part of a bigger hazard.
- Photograph the damage before anything is moved. Then speak to the neighbour, and if a tree is involved, get an arborist report and a written quote.
- Check your policy. Legal Aid's advice is to check your PDS for insurance cover.
- Get it in writing. Write down whatever you and the neighbour agree.
Our page on fence repairs after storm damage covers the repair side.
The storm-season numbers in one place
Keep these handy:
- The season runs September to April.
- A pool barrier needs 1.2 m minimum height, 1.8 m where a boundary fence is part of it, and no gaps over 10 cm.
- A pool certificate of compliance is valid for 3 years.
- Urgent fencing work carries one month to dispute and six years to claim.
Getting a damaged or tired fence looked at
Chainwire Fencing Specialist builds chainwire, steel, aluminium, rural and temporary fencing and gates across Newcastle, the Hunter Valley and the Central Coast.
If your walk-around turns up a leaning post, a sagging run or a gate that will not latch, send us the details through our fencing quote page or call 02 4023 5416. If the fence is shared, it helps to have the neighbour's agreement in writing before the work starts.
Managing a commercial or construction site? Our pre-quote checklist for site managers lists what to have ready.
Sources
- https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/stormseason
- https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/news/el-nino-sharpens-focus-storm-preparedness-across-nsw
- https://www.bom.gov.au/news-and-media/the-bureau-issues-long-range-forecast-for-spring
- https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ahead/outlooks/
- https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/9335964/hunter-residents-urged-to-prepare-as-ses-warns-of-el-nino-storms/
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-04/ulladulla-tornado-severe-damage-homes-businesses/107226952
- https://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/my-problem-is-about/my-neighbour/fences/your-rights-and-obligations
- https://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/my-problem-is-about/my-neighbour/fences/urgent-fencing-work
- https://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/my-problem-is-about/my-neighbour/trees
- https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/building-or-renovating-a-home/pools-and-pool-safety/owner-obligations
Pictures in this guide are illustrations, not photos of our jobs.