How a daily chore could result in an $18K fine - and more weird and wacky Australian laws

The land Down Under sure has some kooky lore, but some of it is also enshrined into our law.

The official Explore Melbourne page on Facebook posted about one such law, reminding their citizens.

Their post read, 'Love a late-night clean? Your vacuum might cost more than your rent! It's illegal to vacuum after 10pm (before 7am weekdays/9am weekends).

"Police can issue a 72-hour noise notice. Fines up to $18,665.20, plus $4663.80/day if you keep at it!

"Moral of the story? Clean floors=good. Midnight Hoover rampage=very bad."

Commenters found the reminder hilarious, joking about the law.

One wrote, "I can't be vacuuming after 10pm anyway - that's when I fire up the leaf blower."

"Haha, no way will I follow that. My neighbours play doof doof music whenever they want to the point I can feel the bass thumping so if they can play that cr*p at 2am, then I am going to vac mini messes with the same respect they give me," another wrote.

One shared, "If the song of Dyson is all you've got to worry about in your neighbourhood you're pretty lucky."

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"If my neighbours can hear my vacuum then they have hearing that rivals my dogs," one commenter said.

The law, which is from Section 48A, Environment Protection Act 1970 (Vic); Regulation 6, Environment Protection (Residential Noise) Regulations 2008 (Vic), states that a noise will be considered "unreasonable" if it can be heard in a "habitable" room in any other residential property, regardless of whether they have the door or window open or closed.

A "habitable" room is considered any room in the house except the kitchen, pantry, bathroom, toilet, laundry room, and storage areas.

Victoria isn't the only state with unusual laws.

New South Wales

Those wearing head-to-toe black should watch out, as in New South Wales, it is, in fact, illegal to dress in a certain way or carry certain tools that suggest you are about to commit a burglary.

If the law, featured in Section 112, Crimes Act 1900, NSW, is broken, it could result in a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment.

Queensland

In Queensland, it is illegal to keep a rabbit as a pet. Under the Biosecurity Act 2014, rabbits are considered Australia's most destructive agricultural and environmental introduced invasive animal. They pose a risk to land degradation and threaten rare and endangered native species.

There is no permit available to keep them for private purposes in the state, with the only permits available being for certain forms of public entertainment, such as magic shows and circuses, or for scientific and research purposes. The fine for having a pet rabbit is up to $71,875.

Western Australia

Until as recently as 2016, it was illegal to possess more than 50 kilograms of potatoes, according to Section 22 of the Marketing of Potatoes Act 1946, WA.

Those who went against it faced a maximum $2,000 fine for the first offence, or a $5,000 fine for subsequent offences. They also faced a further penalty up to twice the value of the potatoes.

The law came into effect in the middle of the Great Depression, when post-war food security was the most pressing political issue of the time.

South Australia

In South Australia, it remains an offence to sell a fridge with a capacity of 42.5 litres or more, unless all of its doors can be opened from the inside, or it was brought into the state before January 1, 1962.

According to Section 58B of the Summary Offences Act 1953 (SA), the maximum penalty is a $750 fine.

This law is believed to have put in place because people, especially children, can potentially fall into the fridges, which did not have the advantage of modern fridge seals and would leave them stuck inside.

Northern Territory

It is considered an offence in the Northern Territory for a pedestrian to walk on the road when a pathway or nature strip is available. If they are found in breach, they have to pay a maximum penalty fine of $3,080 or 6 months imprisonment.

If walking on the road is necessary, pedestrians must walk on the far left or far right side, and it is recommended to face oncoming traffic to be able to see cars coming.

Tasmania

Ironically for a country that uses curse words in everyday speech, in Tasmania it is illegal to do so in public.

According to the Police Offences Act 1935, article 12: "A person shall not, in any public place, or within the hearing of any person in that place: curse or swear; sing any profane or obscene song; use any profane, indecent, obscene, offensive or blasphemous language; or use any threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour calculated to provoke a breach of the peace or whereby a breach of the peace may be occasioned."

Those who do so can face up to three months in prison. or up to three penalty points.

Australian Capital Territory

In our nation's glorious capital, it is not permitted to have front fences.

It all started when British planner-architect Sir John Sulman took over as chairman of the Federal Capital Advisory Committee (FCAC) in 1921.

Sulman believed that unhealthy conditions such as overcrowding, poor sanitation and slums occur due to barriers such as terrace housing.

He believed open-plan neighbourhoods and single-storey cottages were the way to go, allowing residents to self-regulate and take pride in their homes and appearances.

Though fences aren't allowed, soft enclosures like hedges are permitted.

"The concern was if you allowed front fences, you couldn't find out what people were doing behind them," Australian National University historian Professor Nicholas Brown told the ABC in 2016.

"People might make the distinction between the beautiful city that they were supposed to be part of and their own little patch of ground in which they would go wild."

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