Chickens and Poultry

Manly Council encourages the responsible keeping of birds.

Some types of birds however are not suitable to be kept in an urban environment.  For example, the keeping of roosters is prohibited within the Municipality of Manly due to impact on residential amenity. Poultry must be kept in a manner which does not create a nuisance or risk to public health.

Manly Council investigates and takes the appropriate action under the Local Government Act 1993 as required for health risks or nuisances caused by the keeping of chickens and poultry.

Relevant Legislation

Local Government (General) Regulation 2005 - Schedule 2

Poultry not to be nuisance or health risk:

• Poultry must not be kept under such conditions as to create a nuisance or to be dangerous or injurious to health.
• Poultry yards must at all times be kept clean and free from offensive odours.

Poultry not to be kept near certain premises

• Fowls (that is, birds of the species Gallus gallus) or guinea fowls must not be kept within 4.5 metres (or such greater distance as the council may determine in a particular case) of a dwelling, public hall, school or premises used for the manufacture, preparation, sale or storage of food.
  
  
• Poultry (other than fowls referred to in subclause (1) must not be kept within 30 metres of any building referred to in subclause (1).
  
  
• The floors of poultry houses must be paved with concrete or mineral asphalt underneath the roosts or perches. However, this subclause does not apply to poultry houses:
  
         (a)      that are not within 15.2 metres of a dwelling, public hall or school,
         or
         (b)     that are situated on clean sand.
  
  
• Poultry yards must be so enclosed as to prevent the escape of poultry.