A GROWING number of Hume residents are turning to a cheaper options to resolve disputes with their neighbours.

The Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria (DSCV) received 510 calls for assistance from Hume residents last year and referred 83 cases for mediation. The result put the City of Hume in the top 10 councils taking advantage of the service to avoid lengthy and costly court cases.

Attorney-General Rob Hulls said the top two issues dealt with by the DSCV were fence disputes and the behaviour of adults, including intimidation, bullying or intruding on another’s property uninvited.

“The DSCV takes thousands of calls for assistance each year on neighbourhood and other disputes, some of which result in mediation sessions that aim to make resolution cheaper, fairer and simpler than costly court action,” Mr Hulls said.

“Often the issues around adult behaviours are intertwined with, or result from, other neighbourhood disputes such as fence disputes – the second highest category seeking mediations. Fence disputes continue to cause friction between neighbours, particularly when there are disputes over sharing the costs towards the construction of a new fence.”

Across the state more than 17,000 calls for advice and assistance were made to the DSCV in the past year.

Mr Hulls said the increase in mediations showed people were taking advantage of a better way to solve problems than lengthy and costly court proceedings.

“The initiative is a good example of the benefits of mediation to resolve disputes, as mediation increases access to justice for those with limited financial means and reduces the costs to the courts and the community,” he said