Subordinate Local Law Amendments adopted

Published on 13 December 2023

Rockhampton Regional Council has this week resolved to adopt amendments to the Animal Management and Parking Subordinate Local Laws.

Planning and Regulation Councillor Grant Mathers said public feedback from the four-week consultation period on the proposed amendments were individually assessed and taken into consideration.

“The community’s input into our local laws is extremely important so that the laws we adopt can reflect the community’s lifestyle and expectations,” Cr Mathers said.

“The feedback we received during the consultation period has been very beneficial and helped form the final outcomes in the amendments we have adopted.

“Some of the matters raised during this consultation period included the effective management and expectation of nuisance animals and barking dogs, changes in designs to off-leash areas and native bee keeping.

“In response to the submissions, several changes have been made to the Subordinate Local Laws including:

• Keeping of Native Bee requirements has been modified to remove the restrictions of the number of hives permitted on a premises;
• Amendment to infringement notice offences and penalties to bring Council in line with other Local Government charges. Penalties have increased from $61 to $77 instead of the proposed amount of $92; and
• Changes to wording of offence types to ensure consistency across the board.

“In addition to the changes from public consultation, other amendments include:

• Changes to the minimum standards in relation to nuisance animals, providing a greater scope for Local Laws officers to manage complaints effectively;
• Expanding Council’s ability to designate dog off-leash areas, providing more options for the community;
• Providing greater definition around dog breeders;
• Penalties in line with the State Government for inappropriate use of disability bays; and
• Additions to area’s Council designates as parking which is not on a roadway.

Amendments to the Animal Management (Amendment) Subordinate Local Law (No. 1) 2023 and Parking (Amendment) Subordinate Local Law (No. 1) 2023 will come into effect immediately.