How big can your menagerie be?

ABOVE: No penguins, sharks or pandas allowed in Kyogle backyards.

Susanna Freymark

What animals can you have in your backyard if you live in town?

How many chickens are too many? Can you have a goat or horse?

Kyogle Council’s draft Local Orders Policy Keeping Animals on Premises will be going on public exhibition for 42 days.

This policy applies to animals kept for domestic purposes as companion animals, pets or for hobby interests.

There are restrictions on how many and what kind of animals are allowed according to the policy.

• Bees: 2 hives
• Large birds: 2 only
• Cats: 3
• Dogs: 3
• Ducks, geese, turkeys: only 2 from this group
• Pigs: none
• Chickens: 5 in residential or village zones, 10 in large residential lots
• Rats, mice, guinea pigs: 4 of each
• Rabbits: 4
• Sheep: none
• Goats: none
• Cattle: none
• Roosters: only in primary production zones
• Horses and ponies: 1 per 4000 square metres
• Miniature horses: 1 per 2000 square metres

There are rules for each animal about how they are kept, including whether they impinge on a neighbour’s property.

At the council meeting on Monday, August 8, Councillor Maggie May asked how the draft policy impacted people on the edges of town.

“Is there a reason people can’t keep a cow or goat if they have an acre or two and live on the edge of town?” Ms May said.

Planning and environmental services director Chris White said most of the policy under consideration was for urban settings.

“This applies to premises under a hectare,” Mr White said.

General manager Graham Kennett said properties on the edge of town would fall into a different category. The Animal Ownership policy was more of a guide for larger, rural properties.

For people living in towns and villages with a property under a hectare there were animal restrictions.

“The policy does allow for cats and dogs to live together,” Mr Kennett said.

Councillor Robert Cullen said he was pleased to see that cats were mentioned.

Mr White reminded councillors that any council policy could not be at odds with the NSW Companion Animals Act. The policies needed to complement each other.

Councillor Janet Wilson said it was an important policy.

“We do have lots of animals we live with,” she said.

“I shall reserve my opinion until constituents give feedback.”

The council’s Animals Ownership policy has rules for pigs, cattle and horses in larger numbers on bigger properties.

Residents can view the policies and give feedback to the council.

Read the Animal Ownership policy here.

Read the Local Orders Policy Keeping Animals on Premises here.