Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis announces major changes to city By-laws

City of Darwin residents will be slapped with new by-laws, with some sparking more controversy than others. Here’s what will change, and when.

Darwin’s new by-laws will include stronger penalties for dog attacks, an acknowledgment of Larrakia people and land, and protection for public facilities.

The changes will also declare a cat control area to preserve biodiversity, as well as new livestock rules to limit the number of roosters and chickens kept as pets.

The city’s new rules will also address parking and waste management concerns.

Poultry owners will have a 12-month grace period to find new living arrangements for their feathered friends.

City of Darwin mayor Kon Vatskalis. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Additional changes to the By-laws include updates to regulations for health and safety, including waste and recycling, fires and unsafe behaviour; and updates and amendments around advertising in line with City of Darwin’s Outdoor Advertising Signs Code.

City of Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis said the amendments followed the “biggest review of by-laws in the past 30 years”.

“The updated by-laws have been created after extensive community consultation and cover a range of topics that are important to our residents,” Mr Vatskalis said.

“The by-laws are a key piece of legislation that help to create a city that we can all be proud of, and the feedback and input from the community has been instrumental to the project’s success.”

Mr Vatskalis said the changes would come into effect on October 2