Background

The Keeping of Animals Bylaw outlines rules for the keeping of animals within the Waikato district and helps to ensure we can all live alongside each other in a safe way.

Here at Council, we love animals! Animals are beloved members of our families and play a vital role in various businesses. Animals also provide the community with the opportunity to produce their own food. We know how much the Waikato district community loves and cares for their animals.

But sometimes animals can be a real nuisance. Roosters and chickens can be loud, and pigs can be smelly. The noise and smell can become an issue for neighbours in urban areas, especially where properties are close together. Bees can poop on houses and cars, and sting. Animals, such as chickens, can also wander unattended through our towns or rural areas. This can create safety issues for drivers and cause harm to other people and/or their property.

We want to hear your ideas for the proposed Keeping of Animals Bylaw. This Bylaw includes rules for managing animal nuisance issues in the Waikato district. It can also include where and how animals can be kept, specifically for pigs, poultry, bees, and horses.

This is your chance to have your say early before we kick off consultation on the formal proposal and Bylaw later in 2024.

It’s important to note that this Bylaw does not apply to dogs. Our rules for dogs are included in the Dog Control Bylaw and Dog Control Policy, which can be found on our website.

Example rules from the Keeping of Animals Bylaw 2015

Below are examples showing how rules were in place throughout the Waikato district in the previous Bylaw.

This table shows different rules for our urban, lifestyle or rural areas. Rules in urban areas tend to be the most limiting, as the proximity of houses mean animals can cause more nuisance. For this reason, there are fewer rules in our lifestyle and rural areas.

Council is considering using both property size and district plan zones to identify urban, lifestyle, and rural areas. To identify zoning for your property, please refer to this map (PDP - Appeals version). Use the Property Search function at the bottom of the map to look up your address.