Local laws determine the amount and type of animals that are allowed to be kept in the City of Cockburn. Please follow guidelines for the keeping of poultry and livestock. Contact the City’s Health Services for more information.
All animal owners in Cockburn have a responsibility to:
- Keep premises free from excrement, filth, food waste and all other matter that is likely to become offensive or injurious to health or to attract rodents, vermin or insects.
- Keep premises free of flies as much as possible, and use a residual insecticide or other effective means to kill and repel flies as necessary
- Keep feed in a rodent-proof container.
- Use a rodenticide bait or a baited trap when necessary, and prevent rodents having access to water on the premises
- Ensure animal drinking water is changed frequently and kept clean.
Under Local Laws, up to 12 hens or ducks may be kept on a single property in a residential area. Roosters, turkeys, geese, peacocks and peahens are not permitted, unless approved by an authorised person.
Poultry enclosures in residential areas
Poultry must be enclosed at all times. Enclosures must be constructed in accordance with the following requirements:
- Be properly constructed and securely fastened to confine poultry within the area
- Must be in a yard with an unobstructed area of at least 30m²
- Must be in a clean condition.
Poultry enclosures must be positioned so they comply with the following setbacks:
- 1.2m from a property boundary
- 9m from any dwelling, public building or premises where persons are employed
- 12m from where food for sale is stored, prepared, or manufactured
- 18m from a street (other than a right of way) unless approved by an authorised person.
Under Local Laws, up to 25 poultry may be kept on land in the resource zone. Up to 50 poultry may be kept on land zoned as rural. You will need to obtain written approval from the City for numbers greater than this.
Poultry enclosures in resource zones
Poultry enclosures must be constructed in accordance with the following requirements in resource zones:
- To be of sound construction
- Design and construction is to comply with all requirements of the City’s Building Services
- Surrounding sheds to be no less than 1.8m in height to facilitate cleaning.
Poultry enclosures must be positioned so they comply with the following setbacks:
- No less than 1m from the property boundary
- 15m from any dwelling house
- 15m from a street (other than a right of way).
Managing poultry manure
- Store manure in a manner that prevents the escape of odours, dust and particles. Manure must be fully enclosed or treated to prevent it becoming a breeding place for flies or other vectors of disease
- Ensure poultry manure is kept in a dry container or disposed of in sealed garbage bags in the Council bin
- Where manure is used as fertiliser, only store amounts that can be readily used within a reasonable time or dig manure into the garden immediately after removing from the enclosure.
Under Local Laws, large animals is defined to include a sheep, cow, pig, goat, horse, deer, alpaca or another animal so classified by Council excluding miniature pigs and horses, emus and ostriches.
Guidelines for keeping large animals in Cockburn
- You must obtain planning approval before you can keep horses or other large animals on properties in the City
- Large animals may not be kept on land less than 2020m2 in area and must be enclosed at all times
- Animal enclosures must be effectively drained, with drainage directed away from the walls or foundation of any building. The keeping of pigs (excluding miniature pigs) is prohibited within residential areas, rural or resource zones or in commercial or industrial zones.
You must obtain prior written approval from the City's Health Services to keep a single miniature pig in a residential, rural or resource zone. The single miniature pig must be registered annually and kept in accordance with all conditions of approval.
You must obtain specific written approval from the City’s Health Services to keep a single sterilised miniature horse on land not less than 1000m2. The miniature horse must be registered annually and kept in accordance with all conditions of approval.
Please contact the City’s Health Services for more information on poultry, livestock and large animals on 08 9411 3444 or at [email protected]