Keeping poultry, pigs, bees

Poultry may be kept in a Gisborne residential zone  - mainly Gisborne city, without permission, but in accordance with the following conditions, if:

• the poultry is always kept in a properly constructed and maintained fowl house and/or a properly enclosed poultry run
• there are no more than 12 head of poultry
• there are no roosters, geese, peacocks or peahen.

Poultry may be kept in other residential zones  - mainly rural townships, without permission, but in accordance with the following conditions, if:

• the property and adjoining properties are of rural character (with regard to the activities carried out and the area of the property)

In all residential zones

The poultry house or poultry run cannot be any closer than 10 metres from any house or other sensitive use or be any closer than 2 metres from any boundary.

In all zones

• The poultry house and run must be constructed and maintained so as to ensure that no nuisance occurs from its existence or use.
• Parasites, flies and other pests must not reach levels that may create a nuisance to neighbours or a health risk to humans or animals.
• Any discharge of objectionable or offensive odour must not be of an extent that it causes an adverse effect beyond the boundary of the property.
• Effective fencing or other containment measures must be provided to confine poultry within the site and to prevent them from gaining access to neighbouring properties.
• Poultry must be kept in such a manner that no other nuisance occurs.
• No nuisance shall be caused by any activity associated with the keeping of poultry including storage of food and waste.

To keep poultry outside these conditions, you need written Council approval.

Intensive farming requires consent under the Resource Management Act.  The activity is defined as Discretionary under the District Plan. The resource consent process for intensive farming may prescribe more conditions than those in Council bylaws.

The following conditions apply for keeping bees in all zones:

• placement of beehives is a critical factor in avoiding problems for neighbours
• Place an obstruction in front of hives or elevate them to ensure that bees fl y at least 2.5m above the ground before crossing the site boundary
• position hives so as to ensure that the primary flight path will not affect your neighbours homes or living areas
• provide a water trough
• talk to your neighbours about when they are happy for you to do hive working and manipulation

If you split beehives already on a property, causing a greater number of beehives than that allowed, the beehives must be removed:

• by 30 September – for beehives split between March and August
• within 6 weeks – for beehives split between September and February
• hives must be constructed and maintained so as to ensure that no nuisance occurs from its existence or use
• parasites, flies and other pests must not reach levels that may create a nuisance to neighbours or a health risk to humans or animals.
• bees must be located and kept in such a manner that no other nuisance occurs
• No nuisance shall be caused by any activity associated with the keeping of bees including storage of honey and waste.

If an environmental health officer considers that any bees are being kept in a manner or position that is considered to cause a nuisance, action may be taken which may include the destruction of bees.

To keep bees outside these conditions, you need written Council approval.

The following conditions apply for keeping pigs:

• pig shelters and enclosures must be constructed and maintained so as to ensure that no nuisance occurs from their existence or use
• parasites, flies and other pests must not reach levels that may create a nuisance to neighbours or a health risk to humans or animals
• any discharge of objectionable or offensive odour must not be of an extent that it causes an adverse effect beyond the boundary of the property
• effective fencing or other containment measures must be provided to confine pigs within the site and to prevent them from gaining access to neighbouring properties
• pigs must be kept in such a manner that no other nuisance occurs (including any activity associated with the keeping of pigs such as storage of food and waste).

To keep pigs outside these requirements, you need written Council approval.