CLEARER guidelines for the keeping of chickens in residential Maribyrnong areas would be prepared under a proposal put forward to last night’s council meeting.
A report to the council recommended the guidelines be a part of a response to a petition lodged in protest at the removal of three chickens from an Eldridge Street, Footscray, property.
In January, the Weekly reported that council had ordered the removal of Omelette, Frenchie and Mayo from the front yard of a unit block.
Council regulations allow up to 10 poultry on a property, but chicken houses must be 18 metres from the front road and 15 metres away from the nearest dwelling.
Owners Dusk and Ben Liney said the chickens had been a talking point that brought together new migrants living in the area, a point they say was proven by the 130 signatures they collected on their ‘Save the Eldridge Street Chooks’ petition.
“I respect the law, but the council needs to look at the benefit this has for actually building the community,” Ms Liney said.
But the council report in response to the petition noted the chickens’ owners were told to remove the chickens following a complaint.
“The front yard at 27 Eldridge Street, Footscray, at the time of the investigation was deemed an unsuitable location for the keeping of chickens, or other animal housing, and not in keeping with the residential amenity of the area,” the report stated.
After investigating 40 complaints, Maribyrnong Council has ordered the removal of chickens nine times in the past 12 months.
Complaints included excess numbers of chickens, attraction of vermin, chickens located too close to adjoining properties and offensive smells. The report noted exceptions to the rules are allowed when certain animal welfare requirements are met. “The keeping of chickens at [27 Eldridge Street] failed to meet these requirements under a number of the provisions within the local law, and therefore keeping chickens at this location is not supported.”
