Livestock confinement

Confining livestock, including horses, to your property is important for the safety of the community.

Wandering livestock can create a serious public safety risk, particularly when they are on roads. Human lives have been lost from vehicle collisions with livestock on roads. Wandering livestock can also injure themselves, other animals they encounter and cause damage to property.

The Impounding of Livestock Act 1994 (IL Act) enables authorised council officers to deal with wandering or inadequately confined livestock.

The IL Act enables a notice of objection to the trespassing of livestock and a notice to confine livestock. This can be served on either a landowner or livestock owner, in relation to trespassing or inadequately confined livestock. Livestock found inadequately confined after a notice to confine has been served, can now be impounded by an authorised council officer if the owner fails to comply with the notice.

The IL Act makes it an offence for a person to allow livestock to wander at large, or to fail to adequately confine livestock to a property. This includes maintaining fencing.

An officer of a council authorised under the IL Act, who finds inadequately confined livestock, may enter any land or building (other than a residence) and impound the livestock in certain circumstances, such as where there is a public safety risk

These powers enable effective measures to be taken to control inadequately confined livestock and help to protect the safety of the Victorian community.

For issues concerning wandering or inadequately confined livestock, call your local council for assistance.

The Impounding of Livestock Regulations 2018 prescribe penalty infringement amounts for specified offences under the IL Act.

Further information about confinement and impounding of livestock, including horses, can be found on this website, by phone on 136 186 or by emailing animal.welfare@agriculture.vic.gov.au.