Rooster becomes a crowing concern for the ICC

Whether to remove a rooster is proving far from a featherweight issue for the Invercargill City Council.

Its hearings panel will on Tuesday hear an appeal by the owner of a city rooster against a notice to remove it, following a neighbour’s complaint about the crowing.

It is the subject of a 35-page report from council officers.

The owner, who lived in Bowmont St, said she was willing to make changes if she was, in fact, in breach of the bylaw, but she did not believe that to be the case.

She protested that in spite of her requests she has not been told what level of noise was acceptable, or told the direction the complaint was coming from, so further sound control could be put in place.

The rooster protected chickens from cats.

The council report said a noise control contractor had verified the noise in March, and in June the council confirmed with the appellant and the complainant that an agreement to reduce the nuisance to an acceptable level had been reached.

But on July 7 the complainant said the nuisance was back.

The final communication from council officers was on July 18 and read:

“Unfortunately, we started to receive complaints again. Did you stop taking the rooster inside? I am really sorry, personally, but the noise around 5-5.30 is a real nuisance. We have to stop this issue.’’