Livestock and other animals
Local Land Services Livestock Cattle Animal keeping guidelines
Local Land Services
Local Land Services is a regional-focused NSW Government agency working with landholders and farmers.
Their staff can answer questions on:
- agricultural production
- biosecurity
- natural resource management
- help during emergencies.
Local Land Services work with producers to ensure correct livestock identification and stock movement. They also assist with drought and natural disaster relief and can provide information and resources to:
- improve your agricultural productivity
- control declared pests and meet your legal obligations
- manage and improve our natural resources.
Visit their website at Local Land Services - North Coast region and view regional office locations.
Livestock
To find out more about roaming livestock trespassing on private or public land, head to unattended property and animals.
To report livestock on a highway or motorway please contact Road and Maritime Services on 02 6686 1800 during business hours or 131 700 after hours or on weekends.
Livestock taken possession of by Council
Council will make all reasonable efforts to locate the owner of livestock including, but not limited to, any tag/microchip/brand on animal, any registers, a notice on website, and contacting surrounding neighbours.
Owner will have 7 days to claim animal, before animal will be rehomed by way of sale, given away or in limited circumstances destroyed.
There are costs associated with the taking possession of, and the release of any livestock. Fines may also apply. Call Council on 02 6670 2400 for any further information.
View any currently impounded livestock
No livestock are currently impounded.
Cattle
Tick spray yards
Phone: 07 5536 4714
Address: Miles Street, Kirra, QLD 4225
PO Box 6545, Tweed Heads South, NSW 2486
Cattle saleyards
Contact: Mr Darren Perkins
George and Furmann
Phone: 02 6662 2500
Email: darrenp@gnfrealestate.com.au
Animal keeping guidelines
Council's guidelines aim to ensure the wellbeing of animals kept in urban areas. They are also in place to make sure animals do not create a noise, odour or health nuisance.
Background
Certain rules under Schedule 2 Part 5 – Standards for keeping birds or animals under the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 are related to these guidelines. Sometimes our guidelines suggest more onerous requirements than those specified in Schedule 2.
These more onerous requirements have been developed over many years in the Tweed. They are offered to residents as the minimum animal keeping practices which are likely to be suitable. They are intended to ensure the wellbeing and safety of the animal and avoid disturbance of adjoining properties.
This guideline is not intended to be taken as an approval to keep animals. Officers may assess each individual case of animal keeping on its merits and variations to this guideline may be permissible on this basis. More stringent requirements than are provided in this guideline may be deemed applicable under certain circumstances and may be enforced by way of Orders.
If you keep animals, you should also be mindful of your obligations under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 and the Companion Animals Act 1998.
Dogs in towns, urban areas and villages
All dogs and cats kept within the Tweed Shire Council area must be microchipped and registered.
The number of dogs kept on premises situated in towns, urban areas and villages, other than residential units, is recommended by Tweed Shire Council as no more than 2.
Kennels should be kept in a clean and healthy condition at all times.
Owners should at all times take necessary measures to prevent dogs from barking or howling. Council may offer advice or assistance in this regard.
Dog owners are further advised that 88B restrictions may apply to the keeping of dogs at certain premises.
Horses and cattle in towns, urban areas and villages
Standards stipulated under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1993 that may be enforceable by orders because that are being kept inappropriately or of an appropriate number are as below:
- horses and cattle not to be kept near certain premises
- horses and cattle must not be kept within 9 metres (or such greater distance as Council may determine in a particular case) of a dwelling, school, shop, office, factory, workshop, church or other place of public worship, public hall or premises used for the manufacture, preparation or storage of food
- the floors of stables must be paved with concrete or mineral asphalt or other equally impervious material and must be properly graded to drain
- horse yards and cattle yards must be so enclosed as to prevent the escape of horses and cattle
- the standards in this clause apply to a person only if the council has served an order under section 124 of the Act to that effect on the person.
Note: The above standards are generally applied in a residential situation and not where the keeping of animals is of such numbers/nature that would constitute an animal establishment.
Poultry in towns, urban areas and villages
Poultry should only be kept under the following conditions:
- Fowls should not be kept nearer than a distance of 4.5 metres from any dwelling, public hall, school or any premises used for the manufacture, preparation, sale or storage of food and other varieties of poultry shall not be kept nearer than 30 metres from any dwelling, public hall or school or any premises used as aforesaid.
- Poultry houses should not be kept nearer than a distance of 3 metres from any lot boundary and the floors of all poultry houses should be paved with concrete or mineral asphalt underneath the roosts or perches.
- The poultry yard space should be so enclosed so as to prevent the escape of poultry.
- No more than 10 adult fowls should be kept at any one time.
- Council discourages the keeping of roosters in towns and urban areas.
- The poultry house and yard space are to be kept in a condition so as not to create odours or encourage the breeding of flies.
Roosters in towns, urban areas and villages
Can roosters be kept in a residential area?
It is not illegal to keep rooster(s) in a residential area. However, if there are concerns pertaining to noise and/or conditions of the rooster(s) then this will be determined based on the circumstances of each case. Please contact Council on 02 6670 2400 including after hours.
Swines in towns, urban areas and villages
Swine not to pollute
- Swine must not be kept in such a place or manner as to pollute any water supplied for use (or used, or likely to be used):
- by a person for drinking or domestic purposes, or
- in a dairy.
- Swine’s dung must not be deposited in such a place or manner as to pollute any water referred to in subclause (1).
Swine not to be kept near certain premises
- Without limiting clause 1, swine must not be kept (and swine’s dung must not be deposited) within 60 metres (or such greater distance as Council may determine in a particular case) of a dwelling, shop, office, factory, church or other place of public worship, workshop, school or public place in a city, town, village or other urban part of an area.
- A greater distance determined under this clause applies to a person only if Council has served an order under section 124 of the Act to that effect on the person.
Snakes in residential areas
If a snake enters your yard, leave it alone and generally it will move on. The general rule of thumb is to be aware when it is snake season and to take the necessary precautions associated with the season.
Tweed Valley Wildlife Carers – 24-hour phone – 02 6672 4789 (Tweed Valley Wildlife Carers ask for a donation for snake relocations) or check the Yellow Pages for professional snake relocators.
Council does not remove snakes from private property.
Who do I report Dingo sightings to?
Please report dingo sightings in National Parks to National Parks and Wildlife Service on 02 6670 8600. Dingo sightings on any other land should be reported to North Coast Local Land Services on 1300 795 299 or 02 6621 2317
Animal owners must comply with development consents or orders issued by Council that require more stringent keeping practices than those above.
For more information contact our Environment and Health Services Unit on 02 6670 2400.