Livestock on Roads or At Large

If you have livestock trespassing on your property, please contact Council for advice.

Unattended Livestock on Roads

If you have found livestock that are wandering on a road or road reserve, please contact the relevant road Authority. Road authorities have authorised officers to assist with livestock emergencies 24 hours a day.

• VicRoads - Phone 13 11 71
  VicRoads is the responsible authority for livestock on all highways and main roads, including Goulburn Valley Highway and Midland Highway, within the Greater Shepparton municipality.
• Greater Shepparton City Council - Phone (03) 5832 9700
  Greater Shepparton City Council is responsible for all other roads.

Please ensure you can provide accurate directions to the location of the livestock.

Livestock Trespassing

If you have trespassing livestock on your own property or are aware of livestock that are not adequately confined, please call a Council Community Ranger on (03) 5832 9700, who are authorised under the Impounding of Livestock Act 1994, for advice.

Under the Impounding of Livestock Act 1994, an authorised person may impound livestock found trespassing. An authorised person includes an authorised officer of Council, VicRoads or other relevant Government body or an owner or occupier of any land if the livestock are trespassing on that land or on a road adjoining that land.

A person who has impounded livestock must take all steps that are reasonable in the circumstances to ensure that the livestock are:

• provided with adequate food, water and veterinary care
• kept securely in a well-drained place
• maintained in a clean condition
• provided with adequate shelter for the climatic conditions
• kept separately from other livestock if the impounded livestock are or appear to be diseased, or the other livestock are or appear to be diseased; or the person reasonably believes that physical injury is likely to be caused to any of the impounded livestock or to any other livestock.

Notices to confine livestock under 16A and 16B

Under the Impounding of Livestock Act 1994, Section 16A, a Council authorised officer may, if the Officer reasonably believes that livestock have trespassed on any land or road, serve a notice on the owner of the livestock objecting to the trespass of the livestock.

Under the Impounding of Livestock Act 1994, Section 16B, a Council authorised officer may, if the Officer reasonably believes that livestock are not adequately confined on a property, serve a notice on the owner of livestock directing the owner to take the measures set out in the notice to ensure the livestock are adequately confined.

If you have received a notice issued under Section 16A or 16B, you are required to ensure that you comply with the notice requirements.

If livestock are found trespassing after a notice has been served on the owner of that livestock under Section 16A, the owner is guilty of an offence and liable to a penalty of up to 20 penalty units (approximately $3,000).

If the owner of livestock, who has been served with a notice under Section 16B, fails to comply with the notice, the owner is guilty of an offence and liable to a penalty of up to 50 penalty units (approximately $7,700).

Under Section 25 of the Impounding of Livestock Act 1994, a person must not:

• retrieve or attempt to retrieve livestock in the possession of an authorised person
• remove or attempt to remove livestock from a pound
• interfere with impounded livestock
• damage or attempt to damage a pound
• impound livestock unless he or she is an authorised person
• while driving or assisting in the driving of livestock, when requested to do so by a member of the police force or a person on whose land the livestock are being driven:
• refuse to state the name and address of the owner of the livestock
• give a false name and address of the owner of the livestock
• drive livestock from a person's land without proper authority
• wilfully permit or cause livestock to trespass

The maximum penalty for each offence is 20 penalty units.