Residents are able to keep poultry on residential land so long as they are kept in a clean enclosure and not impacting neighbours.

Approval must be sought should you wish to keep roosters, peafowl or more than twenty poultry.

Poultry

Up to 20 poultry including chickens, turkeys, ducks and other domestic fowls can be kept on residential land without seeking approval. Residents must ensure poultry are:

  • 10 meters from the dwelling of your neighbour
  • Kept in a properly constructed enclosure that can be secured
  • Housed in an enclosure located within an unobstructed area of at least 30 square meters
  • Enclosure is maintained at all times to a clean standard.

Roosters and peafowl

An application must be completed and submitted to Shire of Mundaring and approval granted prior to the keeping of roosters or peafowls on residential zoned land. There is a fee of $75 for this application.

As the principal source of annoyance or noise nuisance associated with keeping of roosters is due to the early morning crowing it is essential that the issue be addressed prior to lodging an application.

In order to consider an application for the keeping of roosters or peafowl’s the applicant must be able to satisfy the following requirements:

  • A maximum of two roosters can be kept.
  • Roosters must be kept in a housing that has been designed to reduce noise emissions.
  • Roosters must be housed in a small box or similar (itself within the housing described above) overnight to eliminate any light intrusion and restrict neck movements in order to prevent early morning crowing.
  • The enclosure must be positioned suitably on the property so as to maximize noise attenuation.
  • Any noise generated from the keeping of roosters must comply with the requirements of the Environmental Protection (Noise) Regulations 1997 (the Regulations). An approval can be revoked at any time if noise generated by roosters does not comply with the requirements of the Regulations.
  • Alternative methods of noise attenuation of any roosters will be considered, however it is the applicant’s responsibility to demonstrate the effectiveness of any such measures.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to demonstrate how the above requirements will be achieved. Once the application is submitted a site assessment of the property and enclosure will be conducted prior to an approval being granted.

Applying for approval as a result of a complaint

Please be advised that if you are seeking approval as a result of a complaint associated with the keeping of roosters, you will need to lodge the application and have satisfied the requirements listed above, within 2 weeks from the date that Shire’s Health Service requests that you either remove the rooster/s or make application to keep the rooster/s. Failure to make application within this time period will result in Shire’s Health Service directing you to remove the rooster/s from your property.

Rooster and peafowl complaints

Cries from such birds are normally non-compliant with the sound levels expected in a residential area, proving to be a cause of annoyance for neighbours.

Residents can make a noise complaint.

Where the rooster has not been approved, the implementation of control measures will be sought. To establish non-compliance the Shire’s Health Services must conduct sound measurements from the property receiving the noise complaint.

Pigeons and doves

Residents are able to keep up to 20 pigeons or doves on their property provided the birds are:

  • Not able to approach 10 meters of a dwelling, public building or food business
  • Housed in an appropriate pigeon loft or dovecote within an unobstructed area of at least 30 square meters
  • Not causing a noise, odour or dust nuisance.

Residents that are affiliated with a Pigeon Club can seek approval for up to 75 pigeons.

More information and contacts

For more information on keeping poultry, please contact the Shire’s Health Services on (08) 9290 6742 or email shire@mundaring.wa.gov.au.