Panorama Wilton Landscaping, Driveway & Fencing Rules Explained

Building in Panorama, Wilton? Landcom’s Residential Design Guidelines cover more than your house. They also set clear rules for your front garden, driveway, letterbox, fencing and retaining walls. The guidelines form part of your contract of sale, so getting the outside right matters as much as the house itself.

Here is a plain-English summary of the outdoor rules, so you can plan your landscaping, driveway and fencing before handover and avoid costly do-overs.

Panorama outdoor rules at a glance

Front yard landscaping in Panorama

Panorama is designed around green, leafy streets, with more garden than hard surfaces. The landscaping rules reflect that:

• Two advanced trees minimum. One in the front garden and one in the back, each at least a 25 litre pot size. Corner lots and larger lots need an additional tree in the front garden. The guidelines include a list of approved tree species, and many of them must not be planted within 6m of a wastewater pipe, so check positions before you plant.
• Planting along the frontage. Expect a dense row of shrubs along your street boundary (and the side street on a corner lot), plus extra shrubs through the front yard and beside the driveway and paths.
• Mulched and edged beds. All shrubs need to sit in proper garden beds with mulch and edging, not scattered through the lawn.
• Real turf only. Turf goes on the remaining unpaved areas. Artificial turf is not allowed anywhere on your block, front or back, because of its poor stormwater and heat performance.
• Keep services out of sight. Bins, clotheslines and similar items need to be positioned so they can’t be seen from the street.

Tips for Wilton’s clay soil

The guidelines point out that Wilton soils are typically clay. To give your new turf and plants the best start:

• Work gypsum and organic matter into the soil to improve its structure and help it hold moisture.
• Add a soil wetting agent so water soaks in rather than running off.
• Mulch every garden bed to keep moisture in and weeds down.
• Choose plants suited to your yard’s sun, wind and drainage, and consider irrigation if you are short on time.

Driveway rules in Panorama

Your driveway needs to complement the front garden and your house rather than stand out. The key rules:

• Approved materials: pavers, crushed gravel with paved edging, coloured concrete in natural tones, or exposed aggregate.
• Colours: light, natural earth tones with a plain finish or simple pattern. Bright colours are out.
• Not allowed: stencilled or stamped concrete, and asphalt.
• The crossing (the section from your boundary to the kerb) must be plain, uncoloured concrete to match the footpath, no wider than 3m, in the approved kerb position. Your driveway can widen once it is inside your boundary.
• One driveway per lot.
• Front path: optional, but if you add one it should match the driveway in colour and material, and connect to the public footpath.

Exposed aggregate and natural-toned coloured concrete are the most popular choices that tick every box. Keep paved areas to what you need, because the guidelines encourage as much soft landscaping as possible.

Letterbox requirements

• Built into a solid brick or masonry pillar that matches your house, no taller than 1.1m.
• Located at the front boundary and built to Australia Post standards.
• Parcel delivery should be part of the same unit.
• Box-on-post letterboxes are not permitted.

Fencing rules in Panorama

Front fences

Most lots can skip a front fence altogether and let a front border garden define the boundary. Lots facing main roads or open space may have different requirements. If you do want a front fence:

• Maximum 0.9m high and at least 50% open (for example, pier and picket or split rail).
• Set back 300 to 500mm from the boundary, with low hedge or border planting in front.
• A solid masonry base is limited to 200mm high. Brick or masonry piers should be at least 2m apart.
• On a corner lot, the front fence continues around the side street to a logical point, such as the higher yard fence.
• Driveway gates should be simple, match the fence and either slide or swing inwards.

Side and rear fences

• Maximum 1.8m high.
• Timber lapped and capped fencing is preferred. Standard Colorbond panels can be used only where they are not visible from the street.
• Side gates must not be standard Colorbond panels.
• The cut-off fence and gates between your house and side boundary sit at least 1m behind the front wall of the house.

Corner lots and fences facing parks or reserves

Fences facing a street, reserve or other public area need to be high-quality construction, such as piers or large posts with timber infill. Plain lapped and capped timber and standard Colorbond are not allowed in these spots. On corner lots, the high fence along the side street is limited to 50% of the lot length and set back to allow planting.

Retaining walls on sloping blocks

• Front: max. 600mm high, in stone or masonry to match the house. Smooth concrete blocks and timber sleepers are not permitted. Use terraced walls with planting if you need more height.
• Sides: max. 800mm high (unless Landcom has already built the wall).
• Fences on retaining walls: posts must be built into the wall, or the wall set at least 450mm from the fence line. The combined wall and fence height should not exceed 2.8m.
• Rear walls over 1.5m may need a second, lower wall about half the height, at least 1m in front.
• Some rear and side walls may already be provided by Landcom, so check your lot before quoting.

Common mistakes we see

• Ordering a Colorbond side fence and gate that can be seen from the street.
• Laying artificial turf in the backyard, thinking only the front is checked.
• Pouring a stencilled or brightly coloured driveway, or a coloured crossing.
• Installing a standard post-mounted letterbox.
• Forgetting the second advanced tree in the back yard, or the extra tree on a corner lot.
• Using timber sleepers for front retaining walls.

How Front and Back can help

We do landscaping, concrete driveways and fencing for new homes in Wilton, including Panorama, with one team and one fixed written quote. Send us your lot details and approved plans and we will price your front and back yard to suit the Panorama guidelines, then book the work in the right order: retaining walls and driveway first, then fencing, then turf and planting.

Panorama FAQs

Can I use Colorbond fencing in Panorama?

Yes, for side and rear fences, but only where it is not visible from the street. It is not allowed for side gates, fences facing a street, park or reserve, or the side-street fence on a corner lot.

Is artificial turf allowed in Panorama?

No. Artificial turf is not permitted anywhere on the property. Use real turf, or pebbles or gravel in shaded areas where turf won’t grow.

Do I need a front fence in Panorama?

Most lots don’t. You can rely on a front border garden instead. If you add one, it must be no higher than 0.9m, at least 50% open, and set back 300 to 500mm from the boundary.

What driveway finishes are allowed in Panorama?

Pavers, crushed gravel with paved edging, coloured concrete in natural earth tones, or exposed aggregate. Stencilled or stamped concrete and asphalt are not permitted, and the crossing to the kerb must be plain grey concrete.

How many trees do I need to plant?

At least one advanced tree (25 litre pot or bigger) in the front yard and one in the back. Corner and larger lots need an extra tree in the front garden.

This article summarises the outdoor sections of Landcom’s Panorama Residential Design Guidelines in our own words. It is general information only. Always check the current guidelines, your contract of sale and any Design Review Panel approval for your lot, and contact Landcom’s Panorama team if you are unsure.