Amended Keeping of Animals bylaw adopted by Council

Published on 06 August 2020

Whanganui District Councillors formally adopted the amended Keeping of Animals, Poultry and Bees Bylaw 2020 at a full Council meeting on Monday, 3 August 2020.

This bylaw regulates the control and keeping of animals, poultry and bees within the Whanganui District to protect the public from potential nuisance, and to maintain and promote public health and safety. It was last reviewed in 2015 and is required to be reviewed every five years.

The amendments were developed following public consultation, and were recommended to be adopted by the Council’s Policy and Bylaw Committee at a meeting held on 10 June 2020.

Public consultation included feedback from local beekeepers and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. As well as an online survey, the community was also able to provide comments at stalls at the Whanganui River Markets. A total of 15 submissions were received during the consultation period.

The features of the amended Keeping of Animals, Poultry and Bees Bylaw 2020 are:

• The introduction of a maximum limit of three cats per premises with desexing where the animals are not intended to be kept for breeding purposes.
• That all cats be microchipped by four months of age.
• The introduction of a maximum limit of two beehives per premises within the “urban area”.

The Council’s Compliance Operations Manager, Warrick Zander, says, “We expect reductions in cat numbers will happen gradually over time and we’ll use a graduated response to compliance, starting with education.

“Based on anecdotal evidence, most cat owners typically have three or fewer cats and we’re not expecting high levels of non-compliance.

“Where a responsible owner has more than three existing cats and they aren’t causing a nuisance they will be able to apply for an exemption from the Council,” Warrick Zander says.

Other sections of the amended bylaw remain largely unchanged from previous provisions. Pigs and roosters cannot be kept in the urban area – horses can be kept in the urban area but only with Council approval.

The commencement date for the new cat provisions is 1 July 2021. All other sections of the amended bylaw come into effect on 31 August 2020. To view the amended bylaw online, visit: www.whanganui.govt.nz/animals-bylaw-2020