South Australian Backyard & Small-Acreage Livestock Rules, by Council
SA is different from every other state covered on this site: a single state-wide Planning and Design Code replaced all 72 individual council Development Plans in 2020, so zoning rules are consistent wherever a given zone occurs (see the state-wide SA article for what that Code actually sets). What still varies by council is each one's own by-law on nuisance, coop specifications, and species-specific permissions like roosters. This page collects what each council's own published policy actually says, sourced directly from each council wherever possible.
City of Onkaparinga
Onkaparinga confirms the state-wide default directly: keeping animals, birds or other livestock solely for a household's domestic needs is exempt from development approval, except for horses, sheep, alpacas, cattle, pigs, goats and donkeys, which always need a Development Application regardless of number. Every application for these non-exempt species is assessed on its own merits, case by case.
Source: City of Onkaparinga — Poultry and Livestock
City of Marion
Marion takes a nuisance-based approach rather than a hard number: council doesn't limit how many chickens or ducks residents may keep, provided they're kept to acceptable standards of health and hygiene and don't cause a nuisance (excessive noise or odour) to neighbours. The one specific numeric-style rule is for roosters and peacocks: since 1 January 2023, written permission from council is required to keep a rooster or peacock aged 2 months or older — not banned outright, but not automatically permitted either.
Source: City of Marion — Birds and Poultry
Adelaide Hills Council
Adelaide Hills publishes guidelines for keeping domestic poultry — chickens, geese, turkeys and ducks — covering shelter construction and positioning relative to roads and neighbouring properties, including a minimum floor space of 0.4m² per bird. Council doesn't publish a hard numeric cap in its general guidance, but recommends against keeping roosters in townships specifically because of noise complaints, rather than banning them outright.
Source: Adelaide Hills Council — Pets and Animals; Keeping Poultry for Domestic Purposes Fact Sheet (PDF)
City of Charles Sturt
Charles Sturt's Domestic Livestock Management By-law 2021 (By-law No. 6) separates ordinary livestock from poultry and "prescribed livestock" (bees, birds, pigeons and fish), each with its own limit. For livestock other than prescribed livestock and poultry: 1 animal on a small premises, 2 animals on other premises, without permission. Notably, Charles Sturt's own definition of "poultry" explicitly includes roosters alongside chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese, rather than singling roosters out as a separately restricted species the way most councils do. Keeping livestock on residential premises may also need Development Approval under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016, on top of this by-law permission.
Sources: City of Charles Sturt — Keeping Chickens and Birds; Domestic Livestock Management By-law 2021 (By-law No. 6)
City of Burnside
Burnside doesn't publish its own specific poultry numbers, setback distances or rooster rules online — residents are directed to contact the Eastern Health Authority directly (a health authority shared across several eastern Adelaide councils) to confirm size restrictions, planning approval needs, setbacks, bird numbers and the keeping of roosters for their specific property.
Source: City of Burnside — Chickens
City of Unley
Unley follows the same nuisance-based pattern common across SA: council doesn't publish a fixed numeric cap for ordinary poultry (chickens, fowls, geese, turkeys and ducks over 4 weeks old), instead setting guidelines to prevent birds becoming a nuisance or health risk to neighbours.
Source: City of Unley — Other Animals
City of Port Adelaide Enfield
Port Adelaide Enfield (PAE) doesn't publish a fixed numeric cap for chickens or hens — the focus is on responsible keeping, with coops recommended at least 900mm from boundary fences and regularly cleaned. Roosters are classed as a "prescribed animal" under council's by-laws, requiring a specific application form to be submitted and assessed by a Community Safety Officer before being kept — not banned outright, but gatekept.
Source: City of Port Adelaide Enfield — Keeping Other Animals
City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters
Norwood Payneham & St Peters confirms the state exemption directly: keeping a small number of chickens solely for a household's domestic needs or enjoyment doesn't require council approval. Like most SA metro councils, no specific numeric cap is published beyond this.
Source: City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters — Poultry
City of West Torrens
West Torrens publishes best-practice guidelines rather than a hard numeric cap: each bird should have a floor area of at least 0.37m² (a coop for 12 laying hens, for example, works out to roughly 2.4m by 1.8m), positioned at least 1m from boundary fences, with the open front facing east or south for ventilation and dryness.
Source: City of West Torrens — Keeping Chickens
Mount Barker District Council
Mount Barker's Animal Management By-law No.7, in effect from 1 January 2025, regulates keeping "prescribed animals" to prevent nuisance under the Local Nuisance and Litter Control Act 2016. Roosters over 2 months old are classed as a prescribed animal under the by-law, requiring specific management — matching a pattern seen at several other SA councils, where roosters get their own formal category rather than a simple ban.
Source: Mount Barker District Council — Animal Keeping
Town of Gawler
Gawler is distinctive among SA councils: it doesn't currently have any regulations covering the keeping of poultry at all. Owners are still expected to manage waste and vermin so as not to become a nuisance to neighbours, and a well-managed coop is unlikely to attract a complaint, but there's no formal by-law setting numbers, setbacks or species restrictions as things stand. Development approval may still be required depending on coop size.
Source: Town of Gawler — Animals and Pest Control
City of Mount Gambier
Mount Gambier is the strictest council found on this page: under Council's Animal Control Policy A520, consent is not to be granted to keep horses, pigs or poultry at all anywhere within the City of Mount Gambier — not just in residential zones, but city-wide, along with a ban on stables, piggeries, feedlots, dairies and poultry batteries. Cattle, donkeys or wild animals aren't approved in residential zones, or on any parcel with less than 0.2ha of fenced vacant land exclusively for the animals. Sheep or goats follow the same pattern at a smaller threshold: not approved in residential zones, or on land with less than 0.1ha of fenced vacant land for their exclusive use.
Source: City of Mount Gambier — Animal Control Policy A520 (PDF)
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every SA council set a maximum number of chickens?
No, and this is different from most other states. Several SA councils, including Marion, don't set a hard numeric cap on ordinary poultry at all, managing it through nuisance provisions instead — you can keep as many as you like as long as they don't cause a noise or odour problem for neighbours.
Are roosters ever allowed in SA residential areas?
It varies. Marion requires written council permission for any rooster or peacock over 2 months old (not an outright ban). Adelaide Hills doesn't ban roosters but recommends against keeping them in townships due to noise. Check your specific council, since the approach differs.
Can I keep goats, sheep, or other larger livestock in an SA suburb?
Only with a Development Application, everywhere in South Australia. Unlike ordinary domestic poultry, horses, sheep, alpacas, cattle, pigs, goats and donkeys are specifically excluded from the state's domestic-animal exemption under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Regulations 2017, so a DA is always required regardless of which council you're in.
Does SA's single state-wide planning code mean every council has identical rules?
Not quite. The Planning and Design Code makes zoning definitions consistent statewide, but each council still runs its own by-laws covering things like coop construction standards, nuisance management, and specific permission requirements for roosters or other restricted birds — that's where genuine council-to-council variation remains.
Where do I find my own council's exact rules if it isn't listed here?
Search "[your council name] keeping of animals" or "[your council name] by-law" directly on your council's own website, or phone their customer service line — this page covers a first batch of SA councils and more are being added over time.