Animal breeding and keeping limits

Number of dogs allowed

Exceptions to keeping limits

The allowable number of dogs on a property does not include registered working dogs or assistance dogs that meet all registration requirements.

• Assistance dogs must have completed accredited training.
• Working dogs must meet the requirements for primary producers.

More information is available through the dog registration process.

Prohibited breeds

Keeping the following dog breeds, including their offspring, crossbreeds or types is prohibited:

• pit bull terrier
• Dogo Argentino
• Fila Brasilerio
• Japanese Tosa.

Ownership requirements

As a dog owner you are required to:

• register your dog
• microchip your dog
• keep your dog's details up to date
• make sure your dog has its registration tag on in public
• ensure your dog is safely contained to your property
• keep barking and howling under control to not cause a nuisance
• keep your dog on a leash and under effective control unless in a designated off leash area
• pick up waste and dispose of it appropriately
• care for your animal by providing food, shelter, grooming and exercise.

Number of cats allowed

Ownership requirements

As a cat owner, you are required to:

• confine your cat to your property at all times so that it does not impact neighbours or wildlife
• identify your cat with a collar and microchip
• dispose of all waste and urine in a hygienic manner.

Number of hens/chooks allowed

Residential area:

• Up to and including 10 - no approval required.
• 11 to 20 - additional animal approval required.
• 21 or more - not permitted.

Read about additional animal permits.

Non-residential area:

• No restrictions

Ownership requirements

Approval conditions for keeping poultry include, but are not limited to:

• The birds are contained within an enclosure.
• The birds' food is kept in a properly sealed, vermin proof container.
• The enclosure in which the birds are kept is:
  • thoroughly cleaned at least once each week; and
  • located at the rear of, and behind, any residence situated on the premises.
• The enclosure in which the bird is kept is not located within a radius of 10 metres of:
  • a residence on adjoining premises; or
  • a place used for the manufacture, preparation or storage of food intended for human consumption other than a domestic kitchen; or

  • a place used for the storage of food, other than food kept in hermetically sealed packages.

• The enclosure in which the birds are kept is not located less than two metres from the side and rear boundaries of the premises.

Number of roosters allowed

Residential areas:

No roosters are permitted in residential areas. 

Non-residential areas:

• Less than 4000m² - no roosters.
• More than 4000m² - approval required; one - five roosters only.

Ownership requirements

Approval conditions for keeping poultry include, but are not limited to:

• The birds are contained within an enclosure.
• The birds' food is kept in a properly sealed, vermin proof container.
• The enclosure in which the birds are kept is:
  • thoroughly cleaned at least once each week; and
  • located at the rear of, and behind, any residence situated on the premises.
• The enclosure in which the bird is kept is not located within a radius of 10 metres of:
  • a residence on adjoining premises; or
  • a place used for the manufacture, preparation or storage of food intended for human consumption other than a domestic kitchen; or

  • a place used for the storage of food, other than food kept in hermetically sealed packages.

• The enclosure in which the birds are kept is not located less than two metres from the side and rear boundaries of the premises.

Number of allowed birds

Residential area:

• Six or less birds - no permit required.
• More than six birds - additional animal permit required.

Read about additional animal permits.

Non-residential area:

• No restrictions

Ownership requirements

• The bird is kept without nuisance.
• The bird is contained within an enclosed cage or aviary.
• The bird’s food is kept in a properly sealed, vermin proof container.
• The cage or aviary in which the bird is kept is thoroughly cleaned at least once each week.
• If a code of practice for the keeping of birds of a relevant species has been approved by the local government—the bird is kept in accordance with the requirements of the code of practice.
• The enclosure in which the bird is kept is not located less than two metres from the side and rear boundaries of the premises.

Number of allowed birds

Residential area:

• 30 or less birds - no permit required.
• More than 30 birds - additional animal permit required.

Read about additional animal permits.

Non-residential area:

• No restrictions

Ownership requirements 

• The bird is kept without nuisance.
• The bird is contained within an enclosed cage or aviary.
• The bird’s food is kept in a properly sealed, vermin proof container.
• The cage or aviary in which the bird is kept is thoroughly cleaned at least once each week.
• If a code of practice for the keeping of birds of a relevant species has been approved by the local government—the bird is kept in accordance with the requirements of the code of practice.
• The enclosure in which the bird is kept is not located less than two metres from the side and rear boundaries of the premises.

Number of pigeons allowed

Residential area:

• 1000m² or less - not allowed.
• 1001m² or greater - maximum of 30.
• More than 10 racing pigeons in a residential area 1001m² or greater - additional animal approval required.

Read about additional animal permits.

Non-residential area:

• No restrictions

Ownership requirements

• The pigeons are kept without nuisance.
• The pigeons are contained within an enclosed cage or aviary.
• The pigeon’s food is kept in a properly sealed, vermin proof container.
• The cage or aviary in which the pigeons are kept is:
  • thoroughly cleaned at least once each week
  • Located at the rear of, and behind, any residence situated on the premises
  • If a code of practice for the keeping of pigeons has been approved by the local government—the pigeons are kept in accordance with the requirements of the code of practice
  • The enclosure in which the pigeons are kept is not located less than two metres from the side and rear boundaries of the premises.

Number of birds allowed

Residential area:

• No geese, guineafowl, turkeys, emus, ostriches or peacocks are permitted to be kept.

Non-residential area:

• No restrictions

Ownership requirements

• The bird is kept without nuisance.
• The bird is contained within an enclosure.
• The bird’s food is kept in a properly sealed, vermin proof container.
• The enclosure in which the bird is kept is:
  • thoroughly cleaned at least once each week
  • located at the rear of, and behind, any residence situated on the premises.
• The enclosure in which the bird is kept is not located within a radius of 10 metres of:
  • a residence on adjoining premises
  • a place used for the manufacture, preparation or storage of food intended for human consumption other than a domestic kitchen used solely for domestic purposes by the owner or responsible person for the bird
  • a place used for the storage of food, other than food kept in hermetically sealed packages.
• The enclosure in which the bird is kept is not located less than two metres from the side and rear boundaries of the premises.

Number of ducks allowed

Residential area:

• Property under 2000m² - no ducks
• More than 2000m² - up to a maximum of five ducks.

Non-residential area:

• No restrictions

Ownership requirements

Approval conditions for keeping ducks include, but are not limited to:

• The birds are contained within an enclosure.
• The birds' food is kept in a properly sealed, vermin proof container.
• The enclosure in which the birds are kept is:
  • thoroughly cleaned at least once each week; and
  • located at the rear of, and behind, any residence situated on the premises.
• The enclosure in which the bird is kept is not located within a radius of 10 metres of:
  • a residence on adjoining premises; or
  • a place used for the manufacture, preparation or storage of food intended for human consumption other than a domestic kitchen; or

  • a place used for the storage of food, other than food kept in hermetically sealed packages.

• The enclosure in which the birds are kept is not located less than two metres from the side and rear boundaries of the premises.

Number of pigs allowed

• Less than 4000m² - no pigs, including miniature pigs allowed.
• More than 4000m² or rural zoning - one pig allowed, if an additional animal permit is approved. An approval is not required if the keeping of the pig on the allotment is authorised by a development approval or the allotment is rural land that the responsible person for the pig is a primary producer.

Read about additional animal permits.

Ownership requirements

A person who keeps an animal on premises must comply with the following requirements.

Ensure that the animal is adequately identified so that the owner’s name, address and telephone number are readily ascertainable.

• Ensure that waste waters from enclosures are drained in a nuisance free manner and that run-off is kept off adjoining premises or as otherwise directed by an authorised person.
• Ensure that excreta, food scraps and other material that is, or is likely to become, offensive is collected at least daily and, if not immediately removed from the premises, is kept in a suitable waste container.
• Ensure that any enclosure in which the animal is kept is properly maintained in a clean and sanitary condition and an aesthetically acceptable condition.
• Take all reasonable steps to prevent the animal from causing a nuisance or disturbance to the occupiers of adjoining premises, or premises in the vicinity of the land on which the animal is ordinarily kept.
• Ensure that the area available to the animal kept on the premises is appropriately sized so that the animal can be effectively and comfortably kept.

Fencing and shelter structures

• Provide adequate freedom for animals to exercise, taking into account the breed, size and nature of the animal/s and provide a sheltered area from the weather at all times.
• Be regularly checked for maintenance.
• Be capable of keeping the animal on the owner's property. Animals cannot jump/climb over, dig under, push over or break through fences and gates to escape.

The information below relates to the following livestock animals:

• alpacas
• bulls
• camels
• cows
• donkeys
• goats
• horses
• llama
• sheep.

Number of animals allowed

One animal per 4,000m².

Applications for additional livestock are not permitted.

You may be fined for keeping a horse, donkey or camel on a property that is less than 4,000m².

Ownership requirements

A person who keeps an animal on premises must comply with the following requirements.

• Ensure that the animal is adequately identified so that the owner’s name, address and telephone number are readily ascertainable.
• Ensure that excreta, food scraps and other material that is, or is likely to become, offensive is collected at least daily and, if not immediately removed from the premises, is kept in a suitable waste container.
• Ensure that any enclosure in which the animal is kept is properly maintained in a clean and sanitary condition and an aesthetically acceptable condition.
• Take all reasonable steps to prevent the animal from causing a nuisance or disturbance to the occupiers of adjoining premises, or premises in the vicinity of the land on which the animal is ordinarily kept.
• Ensure that the area available to the animal kept on the premises is appropriately sized so that the animal can be effectively and comfortably kept.

Fencing and shelter structures

• Provide adequate freedom for animals to exercise, taking into account the breed, size and nature of the animal/s and provide a sheltered area from the weather at all times.
• Be regularly checked for maintenance.
• Be capable of keeping the animal on the owner's property. Animals cannot jump/climb over, dig under, push over or break through fences and gates to escape.

Other things to consider:

• If the animal jumps or climbs, adding height to the fence or alternatively, adding an inward sloping extension may discourage jumping and climbing.
•  If you don't have a boundary fence, or you are a tenant it remains your responsibility to keep your animal effectively contained to the property. A suitable free-standing enclosure constructed within the boundaries of the property could be considered.

Additional requirements for horses

Each owner of, and responsible person for, an animal which is kept on premises must ensure that any enclosure in which the animal is kept is not located within a radius of 20 metres of:

• a residence on adjoining premises; or
• a place used for the manufacture, preparation or storage of food intended for human consumption other than a domestic kitchen used solely for domestic purposes by the owner or responsible person for the animal; or
• a place used for the storage of food, other than food kept in hermetically sealed packages.

Number of bee hives allowed

The number of hives you can keep depends on the size of your property. In a residential area the following keeping limits apply.

Ownership requirements

• Hives must not be located within 10 metres of a residence on adjoining premises.
• Each beehive must be adequately identified so that the owner's name, address and telephone number are clearly visible.
• If a code of practice for the keeping of bees has been approved, then the bees are kept in accordance with the requirements of the code of practice.
• Contact the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on 13 25 23 to discuss further requirements of keeping bees.