Queensland petting zoo fighting council demand to remove all animals

For more than 60 years, Karen Mason's hobby farm, Mad Animal Addiction, has been loved by locals and home to dozens of cute animals.

But after a series of community complaints, the local council in Mackay says her animals have to go, and Mason has been handed a compliance notice and ordered to remove them by October.

According to council, Mason is in breach of zoning laws introduced some 25 years ago.

Mason says she's done nothing wrong, and she's prepared to take the fight all the way to court.

"Council has ... known that we've been here, they've been out here, they've told us that we have existing use rights and that we're allowed to continue doing what we're doing," she told A Current Affair.

Watch the full story in the video player above.

Statement from Mackay Regional Council

The space available to the different types of animals is less than what the law requires, therefore council is unable to permit the keeping of these animals at this site.

The owner will need to relocate livestock off-site.

Council has been in contact with the owner... but is yet to receive a response.