Stock Movement

Sheep being driven down an unsealed road

1000 Scope

1000.1 The objective of this chapter of the Bylaw is to control the movement of stock along and across roads to ensure:

The safety of all road users is not compromised
The inconvenience and nuisance to all road users in minimised
The road, public and private infrastructure are protected.
Recognition that farmers sometimes need to use the road to move stock in order to manage their farms efficiently

1000.2 To meet the objectives of this Bylaw the following situations are the covered:

The droving of stock along roads where no specific approval is required, as long as certain conditions are met
The droving of stock along roads in other situations where specific approval is required
Where droving of stock is not permitted on some roads and in some circumstances
The regular movement of milking stock across or between farms, which requires a stock crossing.

1001 Stock droving permitted

1001.1 A person may move livestock along or across any road in the following situations and when the following conditions are complied with:

1001.1.1 Livestock movement on public roads, including those listed in the First Schedule of this chapter of the Bylaw which are the result of an emergency, such as flooding, fire, landslide, or damage to fences or for the purposes of returning wandering or loose livestock to the owner’s property or to a temporary pound

1001.1.2 On any road not listed in the First Schedule attached to this chapter of the Bylaw, provided the following conditions are met:

It is during the hours of daylight
There is sufficient visibility to render clearly visible a person, vehicle or livestock at a distance of at least 170 metres
It is more than 10 metres from an urban residential zone boundary
The number of livestock in any one mob shall not exceed 600 head of cattle or 3,000 head of sheep or 50 head of other livestock
Each mob shall be accompanied by at least one experienced drover. Sufficient additional competent drovers shall accompany the mob to ensure it is kept under control at all times.
At all times during the droving procedure, appropriate warning mechanisms must be used, these may include pilot vehicles with approved signs or approved signs no more than 2 km from the stock being moved.
- The signs must be mounted on a pilot vehicle or placed on a stand on the side of the road.
- The signs must be visible from three x the operating speed in metres (eg 3 x 100 = 300m).
- The distance from the sign or the pilot vehicle from the stock should be three x the operating speed in metres.
- If pilot vehicles are being used they must have flashing amber beacon(s)
- High visibility clothing worn by drovers
The drover shall keep the animals moving along the road at all times so as to make reasonable progress towards the destination
Animals shall be moved in such a manner and using only such points of access and exit to and from the road so that danger to other road users and damage to the road, road reserve and any Council or private property be minimised
Tired, injured or dead animals shall be removed immediately from the road reserve.
The owner or drover of any stock that is being moved along or across any road, must ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to clean the roadway free of any faecal matter as soon as practicable if that faecal matter is causing a road nuisance or a road safety issue.

1002 Regular movement of milking stock

1002.1 The regular droving of milking stock across is only permitted when a Stock Crossing Permit has been issued. Appropriate conditions may be applied to any Stock Crossing Permit.

1002.2 The regular movement of milking stock is not permitted on roads named listed in the Second Schedule of this Bylaw. A Stock Crossing Permit will not be approved for these roads.

1002.3 Where it is possible and reasonable to drive the milking stock along an alternative lane on private land then this shall be used rather than the road. In these cases a Stock Crossing Permit will not be approved.

1002.4 The Council may from time to time set administration and inspection fees to be paid. These must be paid at time of application for a stock crossing permit.

1003 Stock droving permitted with specific approval

1003.1 A person may move livestock along or across any road in the following situations only if written permission is obtained from the Council and the conditions set in that approval are complied with. The Council may refuse permission if there is a high risk to road safety and inconvenience to road users, and/or a high likelihood of damage to property:

1003.1.1 On any road named in the First Schedule attached to this chapter of the Bylaw where the stock are being moved from one part of a farm to another part of a farm and no other suitable route is available. In this case the conditions in Clause 1001 will apply, and time of day restricts and extra traffic management requirements may be required depending on the particular circumstances. These will be discussed and agreed with the person seeking permission.

1003.1.2 On any road within urban residential boundaries.

1003.1.3 Where conditions in Clause 1001.1.2 cannot be met.

1004 Stock droving not permitted

1004.1 Except as described in Clause 1001.1.1 or 1002.1 of this Bylaw no person shall move livestock along or across any road in the following situations:

During the hours of darkness.
At any time when there is not sufficient visibility to render clearly visible a person, vehicle or livestock at a distance of at least 170 metres.
Within 10 metres of an urban residential zone boundary.
On any road named in the First Schedule attached to this chapter of the Bylaw.
During any period when the road is closed or traffic flow is restricted because of road works, flooding or an emergency, Council staff (including but not limited to authorised officers) have discretionary power either to halt mobs in one place with a view to restricting their movement or to re-direct mobs along such others road or roads which in the circumstances are more appropriate.