Livestock

Increasingly, with the amalgamation of dairy farms within the Shire, farmers are faced with a need to move cattle more effectively from property to property. Often this involves the installation of a cattle underpass to allow movement of stock underneath a public roadway.

Council supports the construction of cattle underpasses as a means of improving road safety and limiting damage to local roads and verges resulting from the regular movement of cattle across roadways. The Common Law rights of landowners to move stock along roadways, is recognised by the Council.

The location, design and construction of underpasses must be approved by Council.

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Victorian State Legislation requires local Council's to have in place Local Laws in relation to livestock movement and grazing on roads and roadside areas. Council is required to take into consideration when issuing a permit, the individual needs of farmers, other road users, the general public and environmental factors.

There are 3 types of permits commonly used by farmers for the movement and grazing of livestock. A site inspection conducted by Local Laws is required on receipt of all Livestock Movement permit applications, and when required, in relation to Livestock Grazing on roads permit applications.

All livestock permits are issued subject to compliance with applicable terms and conditions including, but not limited to:

• The installation or erection of appropriate signage.
• Hours of operation.
• Cleanliness of road surfaces.

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Droving Permit

This is required when moving livestock along public roads either within the Shire or through the Shire. It can be for the purpose of changing a livestock grazing area, moving livestock to a location for the purpose of sale or from a location of sale, as well as through a municipal district or the purpose of, or including, supplementary feeding, or taking livestock from or to a market.

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Grazing Permit

This is required when placing livestock on road reserves for the purpose of grazing roadside vegetation. These permits can be used with the endorsement to run an electric fence and are also subject to terms and conditions.

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Livestock Movement Permit

This is required when moving livestock along public roads within the shire on an individual or regular basis such as a Dairy Stock Crossing. Livestock movement permits can also be obtained as part of normal farm management operations to move livestock between two properties where the properties concerned are occupied by the same farming enterprise, but not for the purpose of grazing. Livestock must be moved at a rate of not less than 1km an hour in the direction of movement between the two properties and must be completed on the same day as commencement.

To apply for a Livestock Permit or for further information please visit our Local Laws Permits page.

There are Council Regulations and State Legal Requirements you must comply with if you own a farm animal. The first thing you must do when you are looking to own cattle (cows), sheep, pigs, goats, alpacas, llamas, horses, deer or more than 100 poultry is to apply for a Livestock Property Identification Code (PIC).

PICs are free and easy to obtain through the Agriculture Victoria Application for a Property Identification Code (PIC) web page. PICs are important in the event of a serious livestock disease outbreak. They allow for the tracing of animals to detect where an outbreak may have started and to help control and eradicate disease.

PICs are also linked to systems such as the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) and commercial operators will need a PIC to sell and move animals.

Feeding food scraps to pigs can be dangerous and is illegal. Food waste fed to pigs, known as swill feeding, poses a huge risk for the entry and spread of devastating animal diseases into Australia.

Swill feeding was the route by which infection was introduced to the UK causing the devastating 2001 outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease. Food waste containing meat, other animal by-products, some dairy products and any food that has come into contact with these prohibited foods must not be fed to pigs.

Some examples of food that must not be provided to pigs include:

• Meat, meat products and some dairy products including butter, cheese and yoghurt.
• Vegetables, rice, pasta and any other food that has been in direct contact with meat.
• Pizza bun rolls, meat pies, bacon and cheese rolls, salad rolls containing meat.
• Caesar salad (because it contains bacon pieces).
• Steak, hamburgers, sausages and butcher's shop waste.

If in doubt about the suitability of any food, do not feed it to your animals. For the health of your pigs it is best to have a planned diet. There are specific feeds available that are designed to meet the nutritional needs of pigs and keep them in the best condition. Further information is available from the Agriculture Victoria Feeding Prohibited Pig Feed page.