Local Laws
Local Laws govern most of Council's roles and responsibilities including parking, swimming pools, advertising signage, animal control, outdoor dining, overgrown allotments, pests and weeds, and nuisances such as noise and dust.
The Queensland Department of Local Government and Planning's online Local Laws Database is the reference source for all Local Laws and Subordinate Local Laws.
Purpose
The purpose of this local law is to provide a legal and procedural framework for the administration, implementation and enforcement of the local government’s local laws, subordinate local laws and specified regulatory powers under legislation, and to provide for miscellaneous administrative matters.
How it is to be achieved
The purpose is to be achieved by providing for:
- consistent and comprehensive processes for the local government to grant and regulate permits to undertake prescribed activities and other non-prescribed activities;
- authorised persons for enforcing local laws;
- review of certain decisions made under local laws;
- enforcement of local laws;
- matters relating to legal proceedings; and
- miscellaneous administrative matters relating to meetings, fees, abandoned goods and seized and impounded items.
Purpose
The purpose of this local law is to regulate and manage the keeping and control of animals in the local government’s area in a way that:
- ensures a proper place for the inclusion of pets in the community;
- balances community expectations with the rights of individuals;
- protects the community against risks to health and safety;
- prevents pollution and other environmental damage; and
- protects the amenity of the local community and environment.
How it is to be achieved
The purpose is to be achieved by providing for:
- the regulation of the keeping of animals in terms of how many, what type, how, and where animals can be kept;
- the prescription of standards for keeping animals;
- the proper control of animals in public places;
- the management of dangerous or aggressive animals other than dogs;
- the seizure and destruction of animals in certain circumstances;
- the recognition of associations relating to particular animals;
- the establishment and administration of animal pounds; and
- the registration of cats.
Purpose
The purpose of this subordinate local law is to supplement Local Law No.2 (Animal Management), which provides for regulation of the keeping of and control of animals within the local government area.
How it is to be achieved
The purpose is to be achieved by providing for schedules referred to in the local law of:
- the circumstances in which the keeping of animals is prohibited;
- the circumstances in which keeping of animals requires a permit;
- the exclusion of animals, or animals of a specified species, from public places;
- designated dog off-leash areas;
- the conditions to be complied with by persons who offer animals, or a particular species of animal, for sale;
- the declaration of a species of animal as a declared dangerous animal;
- the circumstances in which desexing of an animal is required;
- specific standards for keeping animals of a particular species or breed; organisations or local governments that operate a place of care for impounded animals;
- the circumstances in which it is not prohibited to breed animals; and
- associations recognised by the local government as having expertise with respect to the management and breeding of particular animals.
Read Subordinate Local Law No.2 (Animal Management) ( PDF, 5.1 MB )
Purpose
The purpose of this local law is to protect the environment and public health, safety and amenity within the local government’s area.
How it is to be achieved
The purpose is to be achieved by providing for the elimination or reduction of risks and threats to the environment and public health, safety and amenity resulting from:
- inadequate protection against animal and plant pests;
- vegetation overgrowth;
- visual pollution including from accumulation of objects and materials;
- fires and fire hazards not regulated by State law;
- community safety hazards; and
- noise that exceeds noise standards.
Read Local Law No. 3 (Community and Environment) ( PDF, 0.16 MB )
Purpose
The purpose of this subordinate local law is to support Local Law No. 3 (Community and Environment) by providing schedules that must be read in conjunction with the local law:
- declaring animals or plants of specified species to be local pests;
- exempting certain persons in relation to declared pests;
- prohibiting lighting and maintaining of fires;
- prescribing requirements relating to community safety hazards;
- prescribing noise standards; or
- alternative shopping trolley containment systems.
Read Subordinate Local Law No.3 (Community and Environment) ( PDF, 0.11 MB )
Purpose
This local law applies to the installation and operation of all advertising devices within the Cairns Local Government Area.
Note: Schedule 2 identifies the types of advertising device regulated under this Local Law.
Note: This local law applies to all advertising devices on State-controlled land, except where identified in Section 3(1)(c).
The purpose of this local law is to regulate advertising devices in a manner that:
- provides for the functional advertising requirements of business; and
- maintains the health and safety of people; and
- protects or enhances the visual character and amenity of the site, surrounding area and the region; and
- does not result in visual clutter or the proliferation of advertising devices; and
- mitigates impacts of single advertising devices and the cumulative impacts of multiple advertising devices.
How it is to be achieved
The purpose is to be achieved by:
- identifying advertising devices that do not require a permit; and
- identifying advertising devices that are prohibited; and
- providing for an application, assessment and approval process for all other advertising devices; and
- providing assessment criteria for granting a permit; and
- stating conditions that must and may be imposed on a permit; and
- making it an offence to display advertising devices without a permit or contrary to conditions of a permit; and
- allowing for the display of advertising devices that:
- are appropriately integrated into the built and natural environment; and
- are complementary and proportionate to the building or structure to which it is attached; and
- are compatible with the surrounding built and natural environment; and
- are located in appropriate zones and are consistent with or complements the nature and intended character of the surrounding environment; and
- do not detract from the scenic amenity of the region or obstruct significant views; and
- do not obstruct roads or footpaths or create a hazard to vehicles, cyclists or pedestrians; and
- do not confuse or distract motorists, particularly in proximity to intersections or other complex traffic environments; and
- do not result in visual clutter or the proliferation of advertising devices; and
- do not cause a nuisance or have negative impacts on the amenity of adjoining or surrounding premises; and
- are safely secured and affixed where attached to a building or structure; and
- do not damage public infrastructure; and
- are durable, robust and maintained in good condition; and
- are operated in a manner that is compatible with and does not detract from a Place of significance.
Purpose
The purpose of this local law is to regulate the use of a temporary home that is not regulated under the planning scheme.
How it is to be achieved
The purpose is to be achieved by making it an offence to use a temporary home without a permit and to provide for an application and approval process.
Purpose
The purpose of this local law is to enable the local government to regulate activities, that are not development, relating to public health and safety that occur in the operation of camping grounds, caravan parks, and shared facilities accommodation.
The local law seeks to protect people using the camping grounds, caravan parks, and shared facilities accommodation by providing for basic necessities, and healthy and safe environs.
How it is to be achieved
The purpose is to be achieved by making it an offence to conduct those activities inconsistently with the requirements of the local law or the conditions of any approval under it and to provide for an application and approval process.
Purpose
The purpose of this local law is to regulate the appropriate treatment of human remains in a befitting and respectful way.
How it is to be achievedThe purpose will be achieved by regulating the handling of human remains through permits which can be conditioned to require befitting and respectful treatment of remains.
Read Local Law No. 7 (Human Remains and Cemeteries) ( PDF, 0.11 MB )
Purposes
The purpose of this local law is:
- to enable the local government to regulate swimming pools for public health and safety;
- to ensure that swimming pools comply with essential standards of health and safety; and
- public pools are properly managed and supervised.
How they are to be achieved
The purpose is to be achieved by:
- providing for the elimination or reduction of risk and threats to bathers or those using a swimming pool by supervision; and
- making it an offence to operate a swimming pool in contravention of this local law.
Purpose
The purpose of this local law is to enable the local government to prevent or regulate the operation of temporary entertainment events.
How it is to be achieved
The purpose is to be achieved by making it an offence to organise or participate in a temporary entertainment event without a permit and to provide for an application and permit process.
Read Local Law No. 9 (Temporary Entertainment Events) ( PDF, 0.09 MB )
Purpose
The purpose of this local law is to allow the local government to regulate the activities of cane railways to protect the safety of vehicles, pedestrians and infrastructure such as roads and bridges and avoid nuisance to other users of the infrastructure.
How it is to be achieved
The local law will achieve its purpose by requiring permits for the operation of cane railways which can be conditioned to achieve the purpose.
Purpose
The purpose of this local law is to:
- allow the use of local government controlled areas or roads where there is a positive community benefit in allowing that use;
- decline the use of local government controlled areas or roads where there is a negative community outcome in allowing that use;
- balance the public interest against the competing private interest in granting a permit where neither subsection (a) or (b) apply;
- protect the health and safety of persons using local government controlled land, facilities, infrastructure and roads;
- protect the health and safety of persons using state controlled roads to the extent that the local government has assumed responsibility for the management of the state controlled road;
- preserve features of the natural and built environment and other aspects of the amenity of local government controlled land, facilities, infrastructure and roads; and
- protect the environment and public health, safety and amenity within the local government's area.
How it is to be achieved
The purpose is to be achieved by providing for:
- the regulation of access to local government controlled areas;
- the prohibition or restriction of particular activities on local government controlled areas or roads;
- prescribed activity applications and permits for local government controlled areas and roads;
- offences to enforce compliance with the purposes;
- the protection of the health of persons using local government controlled areas by declaring smoke free areas; and
- miscellaneous matters affecting local government controlled areas and roads.
Read Local Law No. 11 (Local Government Controlled Areas and Roads) ( PDF, 0.19 MB )
Purpose
The purpose of this subordinate local law is to supplement Local Law No.11 (Local Government Controlled Areas and Roads) in order to allow appropriate use of and to protect the health and safety of persons using local government controlled land, facilities, infrastructure and roads, and preserve features of the natural and built environment and other aspects of the amenity of local government controlled land, facilities, infrastructure and roads.
How it is to be achieved
The purpose is to be achieved by providing for the following schedules which support the local law:
- Schedule 1 - Local government controlled areas;
- Schedule 2 - Prohibited activities in local government controlled areas and roads;
- Schedule 3 - Restricted activities in local government controlled areas and roads;
- Schedule 4 - General activities that are prescribed activities;
- Schedule 5 - Motor vehicle access areas / bringing or driving prohibited vehicles onto motor vehicle access areas;
- Schedule 6 - Permanent closure of local government controlled areas and roads; and
- Schedule 7- Detailed Area Management Plans.
Read Subordinate Local Law No. 11 (Local Government Controlled Areas and Roads) ( PDF, 0.72 MB )
Purpose
The purpose of this local law is to regulate parking to enable appropriate and fair access to car parking throughout the local government area and provide greater controls in areas where parking is in greater demand and through offstreet regulated parking areas.
How it is to be achieved
The purpose is achieved by providing for:
- complementing the regulated parking provisions in Chapter 5, part 6 of the TORUM Act by the exercise of local government powers authorised under that Act;
- the establishment of traffic areas and off-street regulated parking areas;
- lawfully parking contrary to an indication on an official traffic sign with a parking permit or in a loading zone with a commercial vehicle identification label; and
- the prescribing of infringement notice penalties for minor traffic offences.
Purpose
The purpose of this subordinate local law is to support Local Law No. 12 (Parking) 2016 to regulate parking on local government controlled areas androads.
How it is to be achieved
The purpose is to be achieved by providing for:
- identifying the declared off-street regulated parking areas; and
- providing for the infringement notice penalty amounts for minor traffic offences.
Read Subordinate Local Law No. 12 (Parking) 2016 ( PDF, 7.94 MB )
Purpose
The purpose of this local law is to enhance the public safety and convenience of bathing reserves and foreshores placed under the local government’s control through orderly management and regulation of activities within these reserves.
How it is to be achieved
The purpose is achieved by providing for:
- the designation and management of safe, supervised bathing areas within bathing reserves and foreshores;
- the regulation of conduct and the use of aquatic equipment within bathing reserves and foreshores;
- the assignment of responsibility to life-saving clubs for managing, patrolling and supervising bathing reserves and foreshores; and
- the appointment and powers of authorised persons to manage and enforce the regulation of conduct within bathing reserves and foreshores.
Local Law No. 13 (Bathing Reserves and Foreshores) ( PDF, 0.12 MB )
Purpose
The purpose of this subordinate local law is to support Local Law No. 13 (Bathing Reserves and Foreshores) by providing schedules that must be read in conjunction with the local law, which provides for the management and regulation of activities within bathing reserves and foreshores placed under the local government’s control.
Read Subordinate Local Law No. 13 (Bathing Reserves and Foreshores) ( PDF, 0.08 MB )
Purpose
The purpose of this local law is to:
- provide for the installation of water meters;
- read water meters;
- provide maintenance to and around water meters;
- calculate water usage;
- estimate water usage;charge for water use and use of water infrastructure; andmonitor water loss and wastage.
Last Updated: 5 September 2022
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