Approval to take a live animal into a protected area
General information
Park visitors sometimes ask permission to bring animals into a protected area for recreation, such as horse riding, or as companion animals. For example, a number of persons have sought permission to bring domestic dogs into national parks as companion animals.
Section 124 of the Nature Conservation (Protected Areas Management) Regulation -2006 (NCPAMR) states that live animals cannot be brought into or kept under a persons control in a protected area.
The following exceptions are provided for under this regulation:
- guide dogs;
- animals brought in under a stock grazing, mustering or travelling permit;
- horses authorised under regulatory notice on conservation parks and resources reserves;
- bees kept under permit in conservation parks and resources reserves;
- fish, mud crabs and invertebrates taken in or adjacent to a park listed in Schedule 2 of the NCR;
- other animals as specifically approved in writing by the chief executive.
There is a legal capacity for dogs "...used as a guide by a blind person or as an aid by a deaf person" (guide dogs) to be brought on to a protected area by blind and deaf persons under the Guide Dogs Act 1972. Therefore no approval is required. This provision does not extend to dogs undergoing training to become guide dogs.
Guidelines and policies
Operational policy: Approval to take live animals onto a protected area
Operational policy: Horse riding
Permits and approvals
A person will only be issued with an approval to bring a live animal into a protected area in certain circumstances.
Last updated: 06 October 2006