Pigs and watercourses

[philbert]

Hi there,

I am interested in keeping some pigs (for home slaughter, not for sale). I live on a long narrow property that ends on a river. Someone mentioned there are laws(?) relating to how far from a watercourse you can keep pigs. Is this true, and if so, what is the minimum allowable distance?

Actually, while I'm at it, are there any other nanny state laws that are likely to impinge upon, or completely undermine, my ability to eat home grown grass fed pork?

[Pakanohida]

Hi there,

I am interested in keeping some pigs (for home slaughter, not for sale). I live on a long narrow property that ends on a river. Someone mentioned there are laws(?) relating to how far from a watercourse you can keep pigs. Is this true, and if so, what is the minimum allowable distance?

Actually, while I'm at it, are there any other nanny state laws that are likely to impinge upon, or completely undermine, my ability to eat home grown grass fed pork?

Where I live in the US there are very strict laws regarding animals and the rivers due to Salmon & Sturgeon bring in a lot of money. Australia, I have no clue.

[philbert]

Nothing in this river except European Carp and shopping trollies. I'm sure that wouldn't matter though.

I should add I have a grazing lease on this river, and currently have Angus cattle, so it's not like I'm not already destroying the environment ;-)

[ecodharmamark]

G'day philbert

Hi there,

I am interested in keeping some pigs (for home slaughter, not for sale). I live on a long narrow property that ends on a river. Someone mentioned there are laws(?) relating to how far from a watercourse you can keep pigs. Is this true, and if so, what is the minimum allowable distance?

Actually, while I'm at it, are there any other nanny state laws that are likely to impinge upon, or completely undermine, my ability to eat home grown grass fed pork?

The short answer to your questions is 'yes', qualified with, 'it depends'. Each individual property in the state of Victoria has unique attributes. Therefore, the same applies to the statutory planning 'laws' which govern the 'development and/or use' of said properties. If you like, I can provide you with a free, confidential and objective preliminary assessment (up to approximately 1-hour of my time) on just how these laws might affect your individual property, and any future plans that you may have for it. If you should wish to take up my offer, please provide me with (via a personal message to maintain confidentiality) the exact location of your property, together with a brief account of what you plan to do with it (for example: exactly how many pigs you plan to keep at any one time).

Cheerio, Markos.

[pippimac]

Animals allowed in riparian areas in NZ do some awful damage. I say bring on the nanny state when it comes to stock around watercourses!

[philbert]

I am a big fan of punishing wrongdoing rather than preventing activities that might cause a problem. If someone keeping pigs allows them to destroy a watercourse should have the book thrown at them, but it's a waste of resources policing people doing the right thing. You Kiwis for example are about the only Western country that allows 'home brew' distillation - if people get drunk and cause trouble - then you punish the crime rather than the Aussie approach of preventing people from making their own spirits who would (for the largest part) have no negative impact on society.

[pippimac]

You have a point re laws philbert.
I'd never thought about home stills being illegal elswhere, although I think the homemade liquor I've tried should probably have been illegal to protect the nation's tastebuds! Eew.