New Darwin council plan to stop nuisance barking and restrict pet numbers revealed

RESTRICTIONS on pet numbers and a warning notice system will be put in place by Darwin council in a bid to tackle problem dog barking across the city’s suburbs

Stuart Park’s Dan Reimers and Eva Luntok with pets Rose and Clive ... ‘No one likes to hear dogs barking over the top, that’s one of the reasons we got pugs’. Picture: Keri Megelus

RESTRICTIONS on pet numbers will be put in place by Darwin council to reduce dog barking across Darwin’s suburbs.

It comes as part of a radical review into council’s management plan will see council ovals opened up as exercise areas for dogs and the permitted number of animals per household reduced.

New guidelines, using evidence from other councils, suggest barking exceeding three minutes in any 30-minute period at night (between 10pm and 7am) and exceeding six minutes in daylight hours would be classified as nuisance barking.

Stuart Park resident Dan Reimers, who owns pugs Rose and Clive with his partner Eva Luntok, says the restrictions are fair. Picture: Keri Megelus

Owners whose pets are considered a nuisance “may be issued with a notice to have the dog complete specified training” or an order to prevent nuisance behaviour.

However barking wouldn’t be deemed nuisance if a pet was set off by fireworks, emergency vehicles, trespassers, storms, peak-hour traffic or posties.

Other changes to the strategy will see pet owners only able to own up to three dogs per household, three cats per household or a total of four domestic animals, down from five dogs and an unlimited number of cats.

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A report to council says the changes are as a result of a decrease in lot size and front-facing yards, in combination with multiple animals on one property and community feedback indicating neighbourhood amenity issues arose as a result of animal nuisance behaviour.

Jingili resident George Tumino said the changes to nuisance barking weren’t appropriate and it shouldn't be given a “metric measuring standard”.

“People reporting the nuisance barking are the measure and the reasons they give … ‘I can’t sleep at night’, ‘I’m woken up at 2am in the morning’,” he said.

“People reporting infringement must not be alienated and disempowered as has already happened.”

But Stuart Park resident Dan Reimers, who owns two pugs with his partner Eva Luntok, said the restrictions were fair.

“No one likes to hear dogs barking over the top, that’s one of the reasons we got pugs, because they don’t bark,” he said.

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Mr Reimers said putting a cap on how many pets were allowed in a household was also reasonable.

Changes will also see all council ovals apart from Nightcliff Oval and Gardens Oval One available as exercise areas for pets.

Residents who already own more pets than allowed will be able to keep them under a new clause but if they leave Darwin and return, no more than four animals will be able to be registered to a property.