ROOSTER owners in the Shire of Kalamunda may have to move house or give up their hobby if the council approves a motion to ban people in a residential zone from keeping roosters, peafowl, geese or turkey.
Several neighbouring councils, including the City of Swan, have already imposed strict regulations regarding poultry.
At last week’s Kalamunda Shire Council meeting, Councillor Pauline Tonkin proposed that roosters and other specified birds on residential property be prohibited due to noise complaints.
West Australian Poultry Association secretary Geoff Blinco said strict council regulations had forced poultry fanciers to the outer suburbs.
He moved from a residential property in Midvale to a semi-rural property in Upper Swan to escape a similar ban.
“Some people do not have the finances to move house or might not want to move so they have to give up their hobby,” he said.
“The effect of this is that we lose members, lose exhibitors and lose the next generation of poultry fanciers.”
Midland Junction Poultry Society secretary Noelene Teague said she was against the banning of roosters.
“A rooster crowing does annoy some people but barking dogs are much worse,” she said.
“If you live in the Hills environment, which is pretty rural anyway, you can expect to hear noise from birds such as pink and grey galahs and black cockies.
“Compared to those birds, the sound of a roster crowing is nothing.”
Ms Teague said that fancy breeds were facing extinction because of rooster bans on suburban blocks.
“Without a rooster we cannot reproduce the gene pool of certain breeds,” she said.
“It is a hobby but we’re also the custodians of certain breeds. If poultry fanciers aren’t allowed to have a rooster they can’t reproduce the breed and eventually it will die out.”
Ms Teague said council rules, regulations and restrictions were affecting all poultry clubs.
“Our numbers are decreasing year after year,” she said.