Keeping Animals
Tiaki Kararehe
Domestic animals are an important part of many households. However, they need to be kept in a way that protects the public from nuisance, maintains public health and safety, and protects the welfare of the animal.
For details and more information on restrictions or required approvals for keeping animals, see Part 6: Keeping of Animals, Poultry and Bees (PDF, 155KB)
Bees
If you want to keep bees in your garden, the position of your hive is important. Bees establish a single flight path and drop wax and waste along their way. Hives on private property must not affect neighbouring properties and public spaces.
The Council's Environmental Health Officers will respond to complaints where bees might be causing any nuisance or danger to other residents.
Contact Apiculture New Zealand about beekeeping registration and disease prevention in your area.
Guidelines for keeping Bees on a private property
- Hives must be registered with AsureQuality and all hives must prominently show the Beekeeper’s Apiary Registration Number. Register here: Apiary Registry
- A maximum of four hives can be placed on any one urban or residential site
- The bees must not be kept in such conditions or hives sited in such a way that creates or is likely to create a nuisance to any person e.g. bee flight paths and aggression.
- Beekeepers must ensure that gentle strains of bees are kept, if the bees become aggressive, the colony should be re-queened or removed.
- Council will investigate any complaints or may recommend removing some hives
Avoid placing hives close to:
- a neighbours house
- vegetable gardens
- clothes lines
- children’s play areas
- areas frequently used by people, e.g. walkways, playgrounds
- driveways
- road side/footpaths
In residential areas the hive should be behind a two-meter high fence, trellis or hedge.
Properties in urban areas should have no more than four hives – in some cases on smaller properties only two hives are appropriate. For example townhouses, apartments, and small sections.
Goats
Under the bylaw:
- goats must wear an ear tag (an RFID tag or similar) or collar to indicate that they are not feral
- all goats must be kept confined on their owner's property.
Guidelines for owning a goat:
- Goats need plenty of space and food
- It is recommended Goats are not tethered
- Goats need all their needs meet under the Welfare Act
- It is recommended you contact council to check your property is adequate to house a goat
Other stock
It is not recommended that farm animals such as sheep, horses, pigs, alpacas etc are kept in backyards as they are likely to cause a nuisance to neighbours.
Poultry
Poultry includes chickens, hens, geese, peacocks and roosters. There are welfare and health requirements that owners need to meet when keeping poultry.
Under the bylaw:
- Poultry must be adequately contained to the owner’s property.
- Permission is required to keep more than eight poultry.
Guidelines for housing and cleaning chickens:
- The location of chicken coops can be very important for minimising potential nuisance to neighbours. Placing it right up against neighbouring properties or near outdoor living areas has the potential to cause a nuisance, as hens can be noisy when they lay and there is a risk of chicken coops becoming smelly in the summer months.
- The owner of any chicken must regularly clean their chicken coop as appropriate to maintain the chicken coop in a dry, clean condition and state of good repair, free from any offensive smell, overflow and vermin.
Other Poultry
Council doesn't recommend owning geese, peacocks, roosters or any other vocal bird in an urban area as they are likely to become a nuisance.
