Moreton Bay Council Law Review

Last year Farm Animal Rescue engaged with the Local Law Review being carried out by Moreton Bay Council. We engaged over the plight of roosters and pigs because so many are abandoned, destroyed and left homeless every year.

For years we have stood by helplessly as roosters were destroyed, in many cases roosters from homes who kept a rooster legally, but were subject to neighbour complaints. So many pigs as well have been destroyed because of land size requirements that were above public expectation.

Following our submissions, supported by the submissions of some of our Moreton Bay supporters, Council have determined that they should provide excellent new protections for roosters and pigs.  The proposals still need to go through final consultation, but we are well on our way to finding more homes for pigs and roosters.

Once these laws are in place Council inspectors will no longer have authority to remove a rooster because of noise complaints, if the rooster is being legally kept and the requirements for keeping a rooster have been met.

Additionally, the land size required for keeping a pig or rooster will hopefully be reduced in both cases potentially making hundreds more homes available to adopt unwanted pigs and roosters. And large properties are automatically eligible to have multiple roosters without an additional permit.

When we began to engage with this review, we were concerned that the review could go either way. But these changes are sensible, well thought out, enhance the experience of people living in semi-rural areas and will allow us to help so many more roosters and pigs.

You can read more about the review on the Moreton Bay Council website.

The proposals still need to go through final consultation, but if successful under the new rules:

1. The minimum property size for the keeping of a pig will be 5 acres and not 10.
2. The minimum property size for the keeping of a rooster will be slightly reduced, but the reduction now allows for MOST semi-rural properties to keep a rooster
3. A rooster will no longer be removed because of noise complaints, if the owner has met all of the requirements for keeping a rooster
4. Multiple roosters will be able to be kept at a rate of 1 per 5 acres without a permit. Previously roosters could not be kept without a permit, and only one rooster permitted per property under normal circumstances. This automatically increases our rooster permit from three to eleven.

Thank you to all of you who supported our submissions and thank you to Moreton Bay Council for accepting our assertion that a compassionate approach to pigs and roosters is appropriate and right.

Please let us know if your council is reviewing local laws. We have a packed legislative advocacy agenda in 2022, and we hope you will be there with your support and involvement while we continue to build a kinder world for animals, one law at a time.