Keeping other animals and birds

Find out the rules applying to keeping animals other than dogs and cats and keeping poultry and birds.

Pet owners must:

  • minimize their pet's impact on their neighbours
  • be considerate of the health and safety of other residents
  • be aware of the harm their animals may cause to the environment.

Subordinate Local Law No 2 (Animal Management) 2011 governs the conditions for keeping animals and pets.

When you are not allowed to keep animals

Under the local law, there are circumstances in which keeping certain animals is not allowed.

Bees

These laws place the following conditions on keeping bees:

  • You must not keep a bee hive on a lot that is smaller than 400 square metres.
  • You must not keep more than two bee hives on a lot greater than 400 square metres and less than 1000 square metres.
  • You must not keep more than five bee hives on a lot greater than 1000 square metres and less than 2000 square metres.
  • You must not keep more than ten bee hives on a lot greater than 2000 square metres and less than 4000 square metres.
  • If you own one or more hives you must be registered through Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) in accordance with the Apiaries Act 1982.

When you need approval to keep animals

Approval is required from council if you wish to keep the following animals:

  • more than two (2) dogs or cats over the age of three (3) months
  • one or more restricted dogs over the age of three (3) months
  • more than six (6) head of poultry in an urban area on a lot that is smaller than 800 square metres
  • more than 20 head of poultry in an urban area on a lot that is 800 square metres or greater
  • one or more rooster, guinea fowl or peacock on a lot that is less than 8001 square metres.

To apply for approval you must complete the following form:

Even if approval is not required to keep animals on your property, there may be minimum standards that apply.

Minimum standards for keeping animals

Schedule 3 of Subordinate Local Law No 2 (Animal Management) 2011 sets minimum standards for keeping:

  • poultry
  • aviary birds
  • pigeons
  • livestock
  • cats and dogs.

It also sets the minimum standards for keeping animals. Generally, this covers things like noise nuisance, health and safety.