Local Laws

City of Moreton Bay can make and enforce local laws under the Local Government Act 2009Local laws reflect community needs and make our city a better place to live, work and visit.

Some matters governed by local law include parking, illegal camping, and barking dogs. The city is also responsible for enforcing some state legislation, such as food hygiene.

Under local law, some activities require a permit or license. Failure to comply with local law may result in fines.

Alteration of Public Land Local Law 2023

The purpose and general effect of the local law is to provide a regulatory framework for all alterations of public land in the local government area.

Animal Management Local Law 2023

The purpose and general effect of the local law and the subordinate local law is to provide a regulatory framework for the keeping and control of animals in the local government area.

Bathing Reserves Local Law 2023

The purpose and general effect of the local law and the subordinate local law is to provide a regulatory framework for the use and management of bathing reserves in the local government area.

Camping on Public Land Local Law 2023

The purpose and general effect of the local law is to is to provide a regulatory framework for camping on public land in the local government area.

Cemeteries Local Law 2023

The purpose and general effect of the local law and the subordinate local law is to provide a regulatory framework for the operation of cemeteries and burials outside of a cemetery in the local government area, the burials and disturbance of human remains in a Council cemetery and installing memorials in a Council cemetery.

Commercial Use of Public Land and Roads Local Law 2023

The purpose and general effect of the local law is to provide a regulatory framework for the commercial use of public land and roads across Council’s local government area.

Community Standards for Private Land Local Law 2023

The purpose and general effect of the local law and the subordinate local law is to provide a regulatory framework for various matters that predominantly occur on private land in the local government area, including:

(a) the declaration of local pests and matters relating to declared local pests;
(b) overgrown land;
(c) the accumulation of objects, materials and organic matter;
(d) backyard fires; and
(e) local annoyance and hazards.

Community Standards for Public Land and Roads Local Law 2023

The purpose and general effect of the local law and the subordinate local law is to provide a regulatory framework for various activities on public land and roads in the local government area, including:

(a) restricting some activities on public land and roads;
(b) driving vehicles on public land;
(c) the management and use of shopping trolleys;
(d) the maintenance and repair of driveway crossovers and awnings overhanging public land and roads;
(e) the maintenance of road verges; and
(f) guidelines for verge gardens.

Election Signs Local Law 2019

The purpose and general effect of the local law and subordinate local law is to regulate the display of election and referenda signs across Council’s local government area.

Events Local Law 2023

The purpose and general effect of the local law is to provide a regulatory framework for the operation of events and small gatherings in the local government area.

Parking Local Law 2023

The purpose and general effect of the local law and the subordinate local law is to provide a regulatory framework for parking in the local government area.

Signs Local Law 2023

The purpose and general effect of the local law is to provide a regulatory framework for the installation and display of non-permanent signs on both private land and public land in the local government area.

Temporary Homes Local Law 2023

The purpose and general effect of the local law and the subordinate local law is to regulate the non-commercial occupation of temporary homes on private land in the local government area.

Waste Management Local Law 2018

The purpose and general effect of the local law is to regulate the storage, servicing and removal of waste, disposal of waste and Council waste facilities, and ensuring that it does not result in harm to human health, safety or personal injury, property damage or loss of amenity, or environmental harm/nuisance.

Local law amendments

Council periodically updates its local laws and subordinate local laws. When this happens, Council adopts a consolidated version that includes all amendments. You can find consolidated versions under the above headings for each local law that has been updated. Explanatory notes are provided for amendment local laws, but not for amendment subordinate local laws.

Amendment Local Law State-controlled Roads 2024

The purpose and general effect of the amendment local law is to ensure the effective regulation of those laws on State-controlled roads in the local government area and to make other miscellaneous amendments.

Local law amended

  • Alteration of Public Land Local Law 2023
  • Animal Management Local Law 2023
  • Commercial Use of Public Land and Roads Local Law 2023
  • Community Standards for Public Land and Roads Local Law 2023
  • Parking Local Law 2023
  • Signs Local Law 2023

Effective date

  • 2 February 2024

Amendment Local Law No. 1 (Moreton Bay Regional Council Local Law No. 7 (Waste Management) 2018) 2023

The purpose and general effect of the amendment local law is to update and include relevant offences, enforcement and administrative provisions from Moreton Bay Regional Council Local Law No. 1 (Administration) 2011 (repealed) and to include provisions from Moreton Bay Regional Council Subordinate Local Law No. 3 (Community and Environmental Management) 2011 (repealed) as they relate to waste management in the local government area.

Effective date

  • 8 December 2023

Amendment Local Law No.1 (Moreton Bay Regional Council Local Law No. 8 (Election Signs) 2019) 2023

The purpose and general effect of the amendment local law is to ensure the effective regulation of election signs in the local government area, including on State-controlled roads.

Local law amended

  • Election Signs Local Law 2019

Effective date

  • 1 December 2023

Amendment Subordinate Local Law No.1 (Moreton Bay Regional Council Subordinate Local Law No. 8 (Election Signs) 2019) 2023

The purpose and general effect of the amendment subordinate local law is to change the short title for consistency with the naming convention of Council’s other local laws and to amend reference to the authorising local law.

Amended local law

  • Election Signs Subordinate Local Law 2019

Effective date

  • 1 December 2023

Amendment Subordinate Local Law (Shopping Trolley Containment Systems) 2024

The purpose and general effect of the amendment subordinate local law is to declare a coin/token lock system as a shopping trolley containment system for the purposes of section 10 of the Community Standards for Public Land and Roads Local Law 2023.

Amended local law

  • Community Standards for Public Land and Roads Subordinate Local Law 2023

Effective date

  • 13 September 2024

Repealed local laws

The below local laws are repealed, effective 8 December 2023. However, they may remain relevant for certain transitional arrangements.

Local Law 1 - Administration

Provides a legal and procedural framework for the administration, implementation and enforcement of the local government's local laws, subordinate local laws and specified regulatory powers under legislation, and to provide for miscellaneous administrative matters. 

Local Law 2 - Animal management

Regulates and manages the keeping of animals in terms of how many, what type, how and where animals can be kept. It covers minimum standards for keeping animals, proper control when in public places and koala areas; management of dangerous/aggressive animals and seizure and destruction of animals in certain circumstances.

Local Law 3 - Community and environmental management

Provides for the elimination or reduction of risks and threats to the environment and public health, safety and amenity resulting from local pest weeds and animals; overgrown and unsightly allotments; local annoyances and hazard including structures that impact the amenity of the area; and specific noise standards.

Local Law 4 - Local Government controlled areas and roads

Provides for the regulation of access and restriction of particular activities on local government controlled land, facilities, infrastructure and roads.

Local Law 5 - Parking

Provides for the establishment of traffic areas and off-street regulated parking areas and the prescribing of infringement notice penalties for minor traffic offences.

Local Law 6 - Bathing reserves

Provides for the designation and management of safe, supervised bathing areas within bathing reserves; regulation, conduct and use of aquatic equipment within bathing reserves; assignment of responsibility to life-saving clubs for managing, patrolling and supervising bathing reserves and regulating conduct within bathing reserves.