Mark Dal Bon says barking dogs are causing a lot of problems for residents at night. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Are you being kept awake by a neighbour’s barking dog at night, or woken early by a crowing rooster?
Griffith councillor Mark Dal Bon says it’s a frustration he’s hearing more and more from residents.
“They say when they complain about barking dogs at night, there’s never any action taken,” he told colleagues at a recent Griffith City Council meeting.
In response, Cr Dal Bon put forward a motion calling for council to introduce a law imposing stricter noise requirements on animals during certain evening and early morning hours – and to actively enforce it.
“[Residents] say they are at their wit’s end with the noise at night from barking dogs. And roosters in the early mornings. They say if you can’t make noise with a party at night, why do they have to listen to barking dogs?” his supporting statement said.
However, the motion was ultimately defeated after it was explained council did not have the authority to expand its powers in that way.
Nevertheless, the proposal sparked a broader debate about how the issue should be handled.
Mayor Doug Curran said it could be difficult for council to step into conflicts between neighbours.
“The issue we have is if staff aren’t there when the animal is barking, then how can we issue a letter two days later? Because we don’t have any evidence. If two neighbours don’t like each other, they will put complaints in against each other and we’re going to be brought into the middle of it,” he said.
The mayor noted council already had policies in place to deal with nuisance animals and that there were steps residents could take if they were affected.
Council advises residents to first approach their neighbour directly.
“Start with a friendly conversation. Let them know what you’re experiencing. Many owners are open to resolving the issue once they know it’s a problem,” the council’s website states.
For those uncomfortable with a face-to-face discussion, the website also provides a template letter that can be placed in a neighbour’s letterbox.
If the issue persists, residents can then escalate the matter to council. However, council states it may require multiple complaints from different neighbours and a completed noise log before further action can be considered.
“Council is unable to seize dogs for barking and cannot order that a dog be rehomed or destroyed,” the website states.
Councillor Laurie Testoni said the current guidelines were adequate.
“It’s on our website for everyone to see, we have compliance officers. I can see the effort has already been done by council to implement this policy. I don’t see what we can be done other than perhaps more education,” he said.
Cr Dal Bon maintained that, despite the existing policy, residents continued to tell him it was not being enforced.
In the end, his motion was voted down, with only councillor Christine Stead supporting it.
