@ deanli14...the problem is that the neighbours don't want the tennis court fence as it is..more they want it lowered...thus depriving johnmcintyre of his privacy and the local Council is dictating what can and cannot be done....its not about planting for privacy...quite the reverse, the neighbours want the view! I've had an idea that might help. It is my understanding that today anyone wanting to build or alter any structure can employ a private building surveyor/inspector to approve the plans and then the final structure...and I understand that this applies everywhere in Australia. So there is a way to by-pass all the nonsense. The Council does not have to know about or approve anything. You are employing (paying) a private building surveyor/inspector to help you get what you want on your own property. I think its all got beyond a joke. Just by-pass all the red tape and the neighbours! I've extended my house to incorporate a very large semi enclosed veranda, I've had a large water tank erected on a tall stand so it gravity feeds into my house..and have erected several 3m tall greenery covered screens along my fenceline adjoining the neighbours.. for reasons of privacy.....all without the local Council even knowing about it because I employed a private building surveyor for it all from start to finish. You would be paying him to be on your side and get you what you want and he does not have to submit to Council, he is his own boss and your client. You'd need to get a draftsman to draw up the plans to start with...then it should be smooth sailing.

I'm in the process of leveling off my backyard (1 in 8 slope roughly) using a mixture of heron blocks, pavers and turf. Had to deal with red heavy clay that was under the existing topsoil that came out of the cut excavation. As others have said, gypsum is your friend. I would also recommend a thick geofabric over disturbed areas that you might not be covering for a while but you still need to traffic. Just use tent pegs to pin it down. Works wonders especially over clays during rain, minimises dust and keeps a good moisture content of the clay. Get a heap of good topsoil delivered from a landscape yard. Be sure to go and check it out first tho - feel it in your hands and smell the organic matter to decide what you like. In term of trees frangipanis will look great in the warmer months as a screen - flowering and very leafy, in the winter they will drop leaves and won't screen much. I have a fairly large one at the front of mine and i really like it - I Would recommend planting elsewhere in the yard. I don't know much about trees but i hear lillypillies establish and grow fast and screen well. Good luck

I share your exasperation! We have a large garden with clay soil at our place in sydney and limited budget to redo the whole thing! With 2 kids and work it's hard to keep the backyard looking good. I've found that lilli Pillis worked a treat for screening and grew quickly ie within 2 years were at fence height ( 50cm when planted ) though it looks like you have some hedges growing that may be these already? There are more tree like versions of lilli pillis eg waterhousia floribunda see picture - it's grown over 2 meters in 1.5 years now almost 4m tall and starting to throw shade. We lost a heap of shade when our large Blum gum was removed due to safety reasons. Another option might be a baby citro gum tree? For general landscaping I also love purple fountain grass another plant that really thrives in our climate. Gets to about 1.6m tall and looks very pretty when there is a breeze and they are nice and soft for kids. Agapanthus are another plant we cat seem to kill, and they flower all spring and summer. I often take a look and see what the council plants in the area, usually gives me an idea of what is likely to grow and not require excessive maintenance. There is a fair bit of trial and error some things that look great just can't cope with my low/zero maintenance strategy I now order plants from a wholesale nursery as retail prices can be a budget killer. Also IKEA have good freestanding umbrellas, works well and was cost effective, casts a large amount of shade and can be moved around the garden if needed. The lawn is a bit of maintenance but speaking from experience if you don't have to water it then mowing is probably easier than garden beds, I haven't yet found a way to really stop weeds, so that might be a consideration. Hope the tips are helpful.

Hi, just a word of caution re Lilly Pillies. We planted 55 along our boundary in March and lost them all due to frost over the winter. They were supposed to be frost tolerant... but we had unusually severe frosts this year. In hindsight we might have saved them if we had protected them, but we escaped the Tassie winter for a mth to U.K. and it was too late by the time we got home. So if you do go Lilly Pillies consider providing some protection until they are well established.