Approval to keep animals - Brisbane City Council - Queensland

Description

You may need this approval to keep animals (other than cats and dogs) on your residential property. The animals that require approval include:

  • poultry
  • livestock (e.g. horses, cattle, pigs, goats, sheep)
  • racehorses.

Livestock refers to any animal that can be farmed, whether kept for farming or domestic purposes. It also includes any variants or miniatures of those animals. There may be restrictions preventing animals, such as livestock, from being kept on small lots of land.

A self-assessable permit is required to allow you to keep poultry on a residential property. Households with a total area of:

  • less than 800 square metres can keep up to 6 poultry
  • more than 800 square metres can keep up to 20 poultry.

Keeping of roosters on residential properties is prohibited.

You must have a permit to keep a racehorse (including stabling) unless keeping the racehorse is authorised under a development approval issued by Council. The number of racehorses kept will determine the annual permit fee.

You may not need to apply for this approval if the keeping of the animal is authorised under a development approval issued by the council or local authority.

Residents are not required to hold a permit to keep bees, however it is recommended to ensure that any bees kept on your property will not have any adverse effects on neighbours or the community.

If you intend to keep a beehive you must register as a beekeeper with Biosecurity Queensland.

Service type

Licence

A licence defines the need to obtain recognition / certification and registration to undertake a certain business activity.

Eligibility requirements

Your council or local authority may consider the following factors in deciding whether to grant this approval:

  • the land's physical suitability for the proposed use
  • the structural suitability of enclosures
  • the likelihood of the animals causing nuisance, inconvenience, or annoyance to the occupiers of the adjoining land
  • the likely effect on the amenity of the surrounding area
  • the likely effect on the local environment and any possible pollution or other environmental damage
  • other relevant factors to the circumstances of the case.

You may need to comply with local laws to ensure your birds and poultry remain healthy and do not become a nuisance to your neighbours or the community. Local laws may govern:

  • provision of appropriate housing and enclosures
  • storage of seeds and any other types of bird food
  • cleanliness of housing and enclosures.

There may be separate regulations on the keeping of roosters.

If you intend to keep a beehive you must register as a beekeeper with Biosecurity Queensland. Common restrictions imposed by the council or local authority in relation to beekeeping include:

  • the size of the property the bees will be housed
  • the number of hives permitted (if any).

Beehives in rural areas should not be located within 50 metres of a bus stop or an adjoining neighbour's dwelling.

Beehives in urban areas must be in a quiet area of the allotment and not directly against the neighbouring property unless a solid fence or impenetrable vegetative barrier (no less than two metres high) forms the property boundary. Hives must be kept as far away from roads, footpaths, and parks as possible.

Duration

As specified

Fees

Fees Details for this service in table format.

Task Type Business Structure Amount Description
Apply Application All $13.70

Self-assessable permit fee. Fees for 2025-26

Apply Application All $358.45

Fee includes first year's permit fee. Fees for 2025-26

Apply Application All -

Racehorse annual permit fees:

  • 1 to 9 - $356.60
  • 10 to 14 - $592.50
  • 15 to 19 - $710.50
  • 20 to 24 - $789.65
  • 25 and over - $888.85

Fees for 2025-26

Apply Application All - There is no fee for self-assessable chicken and poultry permits.
Renew Licence All $213.15

Annual permit fee. Fees for 2025-26

Vary Variation All $357.80

Amendment fee. Fees for 2025-26

Administering agency

Brisbane City Council

Contact details

Contact Email, Phone and Address Details for this service in simple two column table format, header then data.