Permitted Number of Animals
The number of animals you can keep on your property is regulated by Council's local laws. Registration of an animal does not automatically ensure that the animal is permitted to be kept on a property.
Under local law, Council prohibits the keeping of certain animals dependent on the overall size of your property, and requires an approval called a Specified Animal Permit for keeping certain animals in prescribed circumstances.
You may be required to apply for a Specified Animal Permit for keeping certain animals in prescribed circumstances. To check whether you require a permit refer to the animal information below. A permit is not required if the keeping of the animal is authorised under a development approval issued by Council.
If you are in a residential area, you are encouraged to apply for a Specified Animal Permit before you purchase or otherwise acquire any livestock for your property.
An application fee is required to be paid on lodgement and, if applicable, all the animals must be currently registered with Livingstone Shire Council. Application fees are non-refundable except in those conditions outlined in the current Fees and Charges. Upon receipt of the application, a Ranger will contact you to arrange an inspection of the premise to ensure it meets the criteria and is appropriate for keeping the animal/s. Once approved, an annual permit will be issued. A licence fee is required to be paid yearly to renew the permit and an inspection will be conducted at this time.
No matter where you live, if you own livestock, horses, beehives (excluding native beehives) or more than 100 captive birds such as poultry or pigeons, you also need to make sure you have registered with the Queensland Government as a biosecurity entity. Registration helps Biosecurity Queensland to keep you informed in a pest or disease emergency.
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Specified Animal Permits for dogs are renewed on a biennial basis (every 2 years).
Circumstances in which the keeping of dogs require approval
- 3 dogs over the age of 12 weeks (other than a working dog) on any premises.
- 1 or more dogs on non-residential premises.
- A guard dog on any premises.
- A dog kept on residential premises
- temporarily; but
- for longer than 1 month.
Minimum standards for keeping dogs
- ensure that the animal is adequately identified so that the owner’s name, address and telephone number are readily ascertainable; and
- 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; and
- 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 waste container of a kind approved by an authorised person; and
- ensure that any enclosure in which the animal is kept is properly maintained in—
- a clean and sanitary condition; and
- an aesthetically acceptable condition; and
- take all reasonable steps to prevent the animal from making a noise or disturbance that causes 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; and
- 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.
Requirement to desex animal
Desexing of dogs is required if more than 2 dogs over the age of 12 weeks are kept on premises unless the owner or responsible person for the dogs is:
- a registered breeder; or
- a recognised animal carer; or
- registered to show dogs.
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Circumstances in which the keeping of cats require approval
- 3 cats over the age of 12 weeks on any premises.
Minimum standards for keeping cats
- ensure that the animal is adequately identified so that the owner’s name, address and telephone number are readily ascertainable; and
- 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; and
- 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 waste container of a kind approved by an authorised person; and
- ensure that any enclosure in which the animal is kept is properly maintained in—
- a clean and sanitary condition; and
- an aesthetically acceptable condition; and
- take all reasonable steps to prevent the animal from making a noise or disturbance that causes 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; and
- 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.
Requirement to desex animal
Desexing of dogs is required if more than 2 cats over the age of 12 weeks are kept on premises unless the owner or responsible person for the cats is:
- a registered breeder; or
- a recognised animal carer; or
- registered to show cats.
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Please refer to the Keeping of Bees Fact Sheet for information on the circumstances in which the keeping of bees requires approval and the minimum standards for keeping bees.
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Circumstances in which keeping of animal or animals required approval
- 3, 4 or 5 greyhounds over the age of 12 weeks on an allotment with an are less than 10,000m2
- 6, 7 or 8 greyhounds over the age of 12 weeks on an allotment with an area between 10,000m2 and 100,000m2
- more than 8 greyhounds over the age of 12 weeks on an allotment with an area more than 100,000m2
Minimum standards to keeping of greyhounds
- Each owner of, and responsible person for, a greyhound must -
- ensure that the greyhound is kept -
- without nuisance; and
- if a code of practice for the keeping of greyhounds has been approved by the Greyhound Racing Authority of Queensland - in accordance with the requirements of the code of practice
- not bring into, or permit the greyhound to be in a public place unless the greyhound is muzzled so as to prevent the greyhound from biting.
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Please refer to the fact sheets below for information on the circumstances in which the keeping of livestock requires approval and the minimum standards for keeping livestock:
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Circumstances in which keeping of animal or animals requires approval
Birds other than nuisance birds
More than 5, but not more than 20 birds on an allotment with an area less than 20,000m2
Nuisance Birds (a rooster, duck, goose, cockatoo, galah or peacock)
1 or more nuisance birds on an allotment with an area less than 20,000m2
Racing Pigeons
1 or more racing pigeons on an allotment with an area of 800m2 or more.
Minimum standards for keeping all birds including pigeons and poultry including peacock, peahen, ostrich and emu
- Each owner of, and responsible person for, pigeons which are kept on premises must ensure that -
- the bird is kept without nuisance
- the bird is contained within a cage, aviary or enclosure
- the bird food is kept in a properly sealed, vermin proof container
- the cage, aviary or enclosure 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
For pigeons and poultry including peacock, peahen, ostrich and emu the enclosure must not be located
- at the rear of, and behind, any residence situated on the premises
- within a radius of 10 metres of a residence on adjoining premises
- within a radius of 10 metres of 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
- within a radius of 10 metres of a place used for storage of food (other than food kept in hermetically sealed packages)
Please refer to the Keeping of Poultry Fact Sheet for further information on the circumstances in which the keeping of poultry requires approval and the minimum standards for keeping poultry.