Beefing up Dunedin City Council rules on keeping poultry in residential areas created outbursts of mirth at the council's planning and environment committee meeting yesterday.
At one stage, Mayor Peter Chin called for an Oxford dictionary definition of poultry, at another Cr Fliss Butcher talked of eating budgies, Cr Teresa Stevenson wanted to know if a proposed new bylaw would cover noisy frogs and Cr Kate Wilson worried the council was ignoring the need for bells on cats.
In the end, the "keeping of animals (excluding dogs) and poultry bylaw 2010" was referred to a working party of committee chairman Michael Guest and Crs Wilson, Dave Cull and Bill Acklin.
A report by environmental health team leader Ros MacGill said a proposed new bylaw was originally tabled in January and contained new rules for both poultry and bees.
The section on bees was removed, after consultation with "experts in the bee community", and an assurance from the Otago Bee Keepers Association that it will assist with complaints.
Mayor Peter Chin referred to the Oxford dictionary's definition of poultry as chickens, ducks and geese raised to be eaten.
The proposed bylaw defines poultry as "housed or free-range geese, ducks, peacocks, pigeons, doves, turkeys, pheasants, swans, chickens, roosters and all other types of domestic or fancy birds".
Cr Chris Staynes was concerned at the inclusion of "other types of domestic and fancy birds".
The proposed bylaw states: "With the exception of pigeons not more than six head of poultry shall be kept on any private land within the residential area without prior written approval . . ."
Mr Staynes: "If I read this correctly, I have to have permission for more than six poultry.
"If I keep six budgies I am breaking the bylaw."
Cr Staynes was assured by acting general manager strategy and development Tony Avery the council would not require everyone with seven budgies to apply for written permission.
Chairman Cr Michael Guest pointed out that in two weeks in February council staff had complaints of a noisy rooster, 60-100 hens being "cooped up" in a garage and 30 hens being able to wander.
In her report, Ms MacGill said the council had received 30 complaints during the past year about noisy roosters.
"The proposed bylaw will therefore provide a simple solution to nuisance problems."
Cr Wilson questioned whether the council was giving tacit approval for pigeons and cats to go uncontrolled.
"Can we have a bylaw that cats wear bells so they can't catch birds".
Chairman Michael Guest assured Cr Stevenson the bylaw was specific to poultry and would not affect frogs and Cr Butcher's suggestion that budgies could be eaten elicited no response.
