Ipswich City Council

Birds

Keeping Birds in Ipswich

Many Ipswich residents own birds for a variety of reasons, including companionship and special interest.  To assist owners to manage birds on their properties, and for the health and well-being of our environment, Council provides the following guidelines, ownership responsibilities and Local Laws regarding bird ownership in Ipswich.

Number of Birds Allowed

The number of birds you can keep is determined by the size of your property.  If the number of birds in your possession is greater than the specified land area requirement, you will need to apply for a permit.  If you want to keep a rooster on land other than rural (regardless of size) you must also apply for a permit.

Minimum Land Area Requirements for keeping birds in Ipswich:

• 1-2 birds - 350m²
• 13-20 birds - 1,000m²
• 21-25 birds - 1,000m²
• Over 25 birds - Apply for a permit

(For example if your property is 800m² you can keep up to 12 birds.  1 hectare = 10,000m²)
 

What About Enclosures?

All bird species (including pigeons and poultry) must also be effectively contained within a suitable enclosure on your property.

See Permits and Local Laws for more information.

Permits and Local Laws

Local Laws

Local Laws are provided by Council to assist residents to manage their bird and to promote ownership responsibility in the protection of our local environment.  All bird owners in Ipswich must comply with the following minimum standards in accordance with Local Law 4 (Keeping and Control of Animals), regardless of whether they require a permit or not:

• All birds must be effectively confined within an enclosure appropriate for the number of birds, the size and the breed
• All enclosures must be at least one metre from boundary fence and five metres from any road or public land
• The enclosure must be thoroughly cleaned at least once a week and effectively treated with an insecticide at least twice a year
• The enclosure must be constructed and maintained so as to prevent vermin
• Feed must be kept in a vermin-proof container
• Adherence to the minimum distances from any residential building or premises, as outlined in the table below:
  

Permits

Bird owners do not require a permit for the following:

• To keep up to two birds on land 350m² or more
• To keep up to 12 birds on land 700m² or more
• To keep up to 25 birds on land 1,000m² or more
• To keep rooster/s on rural land

Council issues Standard Permits to residents in the following circumstances:

Note: An application for a Non-Standard Permit is required where the bird owner is unable to comply with the standard conditions.  A Non-Standard Permit is more expensive to apply for as it requires an inspection of the property.

Council issues Non-Standard Permits to residents in the following circumstances:

 Birds - Permit Application Kit (PDF, 233 kb)


Note: Ipswich City Council does not issue Native Bird Permits. To enquire about these, contact the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service on 1300 130 372.

Note: The keeping of birds may be defined as ‘Intensive Animal Husbandry' under the Ipswich Planning Scheme 2006.  Such uses may require planning approval from Council.  It is recommended before you apply for a permit, you contact Council's Planning and Development Department on (07) 3810 6666 for further information.

If you require any further information about keeping birds in Ipswich, please contact Council during business hours on (07) 3810 6666.

Roaming Birds and Impounding

Birds must be confined to the owner's property at all times - birds are not allowed to roam.  Should you wish to make a request for a Council Officer to investigate birds roaming from their property, please contact Council on (07) 3810 6666 with necessary information including location, address, breed and colour (if known) of roaming bird/s.  Please note, sometimes issues of roaming birds can be resolved by speaking to the bird owner first, without the need to involve Council.

While Council does not offer a collection service for roaming birds, they may be brought to the Ipswich Pound and Animal Management Centre.  Birds can be brought to the Pound as long as the bird was found in the Ipswich Council area and the customer lives in the Ipswich Council area.

If your bird is located in the Ipswich Pound, you should visit the Pound and speak to the staff.  In most cases, the bird owner will be charged fees prior to the release of the bird from the Pound.  If the bird owner is unable to visit the Pound and would like their representative to collect the bird on their behalf, a letter of authority or similar authorisation by the bird owner is necessary to release the bird.

Bird owners may choose to surrender their animal to the Ipswich Pound as long as the owner lives in the Ipswich City Council area.  Charges may apply.

Nuisance Birds

Noisy Birds

If you encounter noisy birds on a neighbouring property, the first step could be to discuss the issue with your neighbour.  Sometimes the issue of noisy birds can be resolved by speaking to the bird owner first, without the need to involve Council.  Once a person is made aware that an issue is causing a nuisance to their neighbours, most of the time, they will take steps to fix the problem.  Council strongly encourages the community to discuss these issues with their neighbours.

The Queensland Government Department of Justice and Attorney-General have developed a Neighbourhood Mediation Kit which provides advice on how to approach your neighbour to discuss a concern and tips on setting up mediation. 

If neighbourhood disputes can not be resolved you may wish to take advantage of the Governments free Mediation Services.  If so please contact the Dispute Resolution Branch on 1800 017 288 (toll free), or by post to:

Dispute Resolution Branch
GPO Box 149
BRISBANE  QLD  4001

For more information on this service please visit the Queensland Government Department of Justice and Attorney-General website.

Alternatively should you wish to make a request for a Council Officer to investigate noisy birds, please contact Council on (07) 3810 6666 with necessary information including location and address of the bird/s.  Upon making the request, you will receive a Noise Nuisance Questionnaire and be required to fill in this form for 10 consecutive days.  On completion, the form must be returned for further investigation by Ipswich City Council.  Once the questionnaire has been returned Council will undertake a doorknock investigation.

Note: Council will ensure your details are kept confidential at all times.  Anonymous requests regarding noise will not be accepted.

Magpies

If swooping magpies are causing a nuisance on Council land, or their nest is located on Council land, please contact Council on (07) 3810 6666 to arrange an inspection.

If the bird is nesting in, or attacking from, a tree located within private property, Council is unable to enter the private property.  As magpies are a protected species, a qualified assessor from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service will need to assess the bird.  Contact the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service on 1300 130 372 to discuss the situation.

See the Department of Environment and Resource Management website for other useful information about magpies.

Wild Pigeons

Council does not offer any services to remove or trap wild pigeons.  Residents who experience problems with wild pigeons should contact a private pest contractor.

Injured Birds

If you encounter an injured bird, it is recommended you contact the RSPCA on (07) 3426 9955 or take it to a veterinarian.  If the bird is deceased, please contact Ipswich Waste on (07) 3810 6666 for collection.  

Further Information

•  Birds Fact Sheet (PDF, 171 kb)
•  Birds - Permit Application Kit (PDF, 233 kb)
•  Animal Permit Application Kit (PDF, 304 kb)
• Find information on Lost Animals
• Council's Fees and Charges

Last Updated 27 Jun 2011 | Print this page | Contact us | News Feeds | Copyright © 2012 Ipswich City Council
Printed From: http://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/residents/animals/birds

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