Hi everyone,

This should probably be in the landscaping forum but for some reason it wouldn't let me post it in there so I thought I'd 'try here.

I need to build a picket fence about 20mtrs long in the yard to stop small kids falling from a 900m retaining wall.

The fence will be attached to the top of the concrete retaining wall with stirrups and none of the fence will be in contact with soil.

The reason I want to go with a picket style is that it seems quite a bit cheaper tha n other fence options.

Regardless of many people assuring me that treated pine is aok and safe and all that I'm not going to use it.

So excluding treated pine if a fence is well painted (before assembly) and not in contact with soil, what would be a good cost effective timber to use and how long (ballpark) might it last?

I'm in Hobart Tasmania.

Thanks heaps,