Livestock, Poultry and Bees

Wandering livestock

Owners of livestock are responsible for ensuring their animals are kept within property boundaries and that fences and gates are properly maintained.

Livestock owners may be liable for any damages caused by wandering livestock.

Impounded livestock will incur poundage fees and a possible infringement.

To report wandering livestock or to enquire about impounded animals, please contact us.

Keeping of poultry

Poultry includes fowls (ie. chickens, hens, chooks), peacocks, turkeys, geese and ducks.

If you wish to keep poultry on your property, it is important that you are aware of the type of poultry you can keep, the number of poultry allowed and enclosure conditions.

Number and types of poultry allowed

As a general rule, you may keep up to 12 permitted poultry on your property. 

• Poultry permitted: Ducks and fowls (also known as chooks, chickens and hens)
• Poultry not permitted: Roosters, turkeys, geese, peacocks and peahens

Approval is not required for permitted poultry.

To keep more than 12 poultry and/or poultry that is not generally permitted, please submit a written application to: shire@harvey.wa.gov.au

Poultry enclosure conditions

Poultry must be kept in a properly constructed and securely fastened enclosure.

Enclosure conditions are as follows:

• The floor of the enclosure is to be constructed of a smooth, impervious material with a gradient of at least 1 in 50 to the front of the structure.
• The enclosure must have an unobstructed area of at least 30 square metres.
• Poultry must not come within 15 metres of a dwelling house, public building or premise where people are employed or where food is stored, prepared, manufactured or sold.
• Poultry must not be able to approach within 18 metres of a street, other than a right of way (unless, in the case of land at the junction of two or more streets, the Shire of Harvey has approved a lesser distance).
• The enclosure is maintained and kept clean at all times and shall be disinfected.
• The storage of poultry food is stored in rodent proof containers.

If the enclosure does not comply with the above conditions, the Shire of Harvey may give directions to the owner or occupier to modify, repair or clean the enclosure.

Keeping of bees

Approval to keep bees

Approval to keep bees on a rural block is not required.

If you wish to keep bees on a residential and urban block, approval is required from the Shire of Harvey.

Please submit an application to: shire@harvey.wa.gov.au

Include the following in your application:

• Number of hives
• Location of hives
• Written approval from your neighbour
• Registration as a beekeeper with DPIRD

Beekeeping conditions

A person who keeps bees and hives is to ensure that:

• There is an adequate and accessible water supply
• Each bee hive is kept at least:  10 metres from the gate of the neighbours property or 5 metres from the boundary fence 
• Each bee hive is located near a screen or other barrier to prevent bees flying low over a thoroughfare, public place or adjoining land.
• Depending on the size of the block, the recomended number of hives in an urban area should not exceed:

If a complaint comes to the notice of Shire, the number of hives at the location will be closely examined. You may be directed to reduce or remove hives from that location.

More information and contacts

For more information on wandering livestock, keeping of poultry or bees, please contact us.

Related pages

• Native wildlife