Colorbond steel
Pre-coloured, non-combustible, low upkeep and no painting. It handles the salt band better than untreated steel, but the fixings and any cut edges are where salt attacks first, so near the surf it wants marine-grade detailing and quality fittings. Colours are matched to the house and it holds a clean line for years.
Timber
Warmer and more traditional, and it suits the older, leafy inner-ring streets. Timber moves, weathers and needs occasional maintenance, and it will not last as long as steel right on the salt line without care. On hardwood posts and rails, built and capped properly, it is a long-lived fence a few streets back from the water.
So which, where
A few hundred metres from the surf or harbour, powder-coated aluminium or marine-grade steel with 316 stainless fixings is the honest answer. Inland, it is genuinely your call between look and upkeep. On the bush fringe, non-combustible steel to the bushfire spec.
This is general information, not professional advice; the real answer comes from standing on your boundary and checking the salt exposure. Book a free measure and we will spec it for the spot.