Animal Control
Longreach Regional Council's requirements for Animal Control are to:
(a) protect the community against risk of injury and damage; and
(b) to ensure that animals do not create a nuisance, or hazard to health or safety; and
(c) to make sure that animals are kept and used in a way that is consistent with the rights and expectations of the local community.
All dogs must be registered after 3 months of age, and must have a current registration tag affixed to a collar at all times. You are required to hold a permit if you:
- Have more than 2 dogs (A maximum of 3 may be allowed subject to conditions)
- Have a dog in a multiple dwelling
You can register your dog at the Longreach Regional Council offices at 96A Eagle Street. Registration is renewable annually on 1st July each year.
Owners who fail to register their dogs with Council will face significant penalties/fines.
An animal which is -
- not wearing a current identification tag or;
- wearing an identifying tag that has been reported to the Council as lost or stolen,
Is taken, to be unregistered as per the Longreach Regional Council Local Law (Keeping Control of Animals) Local Law No. 6 subsection 9(3).
Many pet owners don't realize that they are legally responsible for everything their pet does including when it is outside their property. If your pet attacks or injures another animal or person, the owner will face significant fines and could lose the dog. If a person is injured or if property is damaged, the owner of the dog will be held liable for any damages or injury.
Click here to download Registration Form
What do I do if I've been attacked?
Call Council on 07 4658 4111 or the Police on 000.
CATS
A permit is required to keep more than two (2) cats on any land, except land which is the subject of a cattery permit under Part 2, Division 4 of the local law. Where cats are kept on a premises they must be adequately identified so that the owner's name, address and telephone number are readily ascertainable.
A permit to keep three cats will only be granted where the premises and the applicant comply with the following criteria/requirements:
(a) the premises must be appropriately sized so as to be capable of effectively and comfortably housing three cats;
(b) a dwelling must exist on those premises;
(c) the premises must be provided with a proper enclosure or fenced area of the premises upon which the animal is kept, so as to effectively enclose the animal upon such premises at all times to the satisfaction of an authorised person of the local government; and
(d) there exists compassionate grounds for the granting of the permit.
A permit to keep three cats will be subject to the following conditions (unless the local government otherwise determines):
(a) if one or more of the cats identified in the application departs the premises, the permit shall be deemed to have lapsed; and
(b) the breeding of the cats is prohibited.
CATTLE, SHEEP, HORSES AND GOATS
The keeping of Cattle, Sheep, Horses and Goats is absolutely prohibited on land having an area less than 4000m². A permit is required to keep any of the above animals on land equal to or more than 4000m². The keeping of three or more of the stated animals on any land in the Town area is absolutely prohibited.
The minimum standards to be complied with in relation to the keeping of the above animals are as follows:
(a) they must be adequately identified so that the keepers name, address and telephone number are readily ascertainable.
(b) an enclosure must be constructed to prevent any such animal from going within 10 metres of any dwelling (except any dwelling/s on the premises).
(c) an enclosure, which includes an open fenced area, must be sited a minimum distance of 2 metres from the premises boundaries. If the boundary fence is not less than 2 metres high and the occupiers of premises adjoining the boundaries state in writing that they have no objection.
TOWN COMMON
Animals such as Horses, Cattle and Sheep are allowed to be agisted on the town common. However the animals that have been agisted on the Town Common are required to be registered and they must be adequately identified with the Council so that the keepers name, address and telephone number are readily accessible. However, Council is currently not allowing cattle and sheep to agist on the Town Common.
To register any animals on the Town Common there is a fee of $11.00 per animal agisted per month which can be paid at the Longreach Regional Council's front office between the times of 8am and 5pm.
A maximum of fifteen (15) poultry are allowed to be kept before a permit is required. More than fifteen (15) poultry is absolutely prohibited on land having an area less than 4000m². Poultry cages/pens have to be kept clean and odour free so as not to cause nuisance to surrounding residents. Keeping of a rooster/s is absolutely prohibited on land less than 4000m2 (1 acre). If kept within the required area, the keeper has to ensure the neighbouring residents will not be affected with a noise nuisance.
PIGS
The keeping of any pigs on any land is absolutely prohibited except where development approval to keep pigs has been granted under the Town Planning Scheme.
PESTS
The keeping of declared pests such as Dingos/Feral Dogs, Feral Pigs, Feral Cats, and/or Rabbits is absolutely prohibited on any land and can attract severe fines in excess of $30,000 under the Land Protection (Stock Route and Pest Management) Act 2002.
IMPOUNDING
Animals that are found wandering at large on public land may be impounded by one of Council's authorized officers. Animals that are trespassing on private land may be impounded by the occupier of the land and surrendered to Council. Council is not obliged to accept custody of an animal impounded.
All the above information was obtained from the Longreach Regional Council Local Law Policy No. 6 (Keeping and Control of Animals) and the Longreach Regional Council Local Law Policy No. 13 (Control of Pests). A copy of the Local Law's can be downloaded from the Department of Local Government, Planning, Sport and Recreation website.
If you have any further questions in relation to the above information you can either contact the Council Offices on 07 4658 4111 or you could contact Councils Local Laws Officer/s on 0427 629 062.
