Marion Council to reconsider cat curfew and nuisance shopping trolley by-laws

A local council will try again to introduce a cat curfew and fines for lazy shoppers who dump their shopping trolleys. Have your say.

A cat curfew and fines for lazy shoppers who dump trolleys could be back on the agenda as Marion Council reviews its controversial by-laws.

The council will reconsider both by-laws – which were previously rejected by State Parliament – as part of routine by-law reviews.

Marion Mayor Kris Hanna said there was continuing concern in the community about both issues.

“People continue to be annoyed by cats roaming at night and shopping trolleys in the streets so we need to look at that again,” Mr Hanna said.

“In respect to both cat control and trolleys in the streets we have put up proposed by laws to parliament and parliament has rejected them so it is back to the drawing board.”

The council will look to introduce a cat curfew based on Mount Barker Council’s by-law which requires cats to be kept indoors between 8pm and 7am.

Marion Council’s previous by-law which included a 9pm to 7am curfew was quashed by the state government in July.

“When we put the previous proposed cat by-law to parliament, we had looked at many options including similar bylaws that had been proposed by other councils and passed by Parliament … so it was certainly very frustrating,” Mr Hanna said.

“It’s not just frustrating for the council it’s frustrating for the people that are bothered by their neighbours cats.

“It always came back to two areas of concern, one was the nuisance factor of cats roaming on other people’s property and the second area of concern was the eating of native birds and other animal life.

Marion Mayor Kris Hanna said the council is hopeful its new trolley by-law will be accepted by State Parliament. Picture: Brad Fleet

“We want to balance that though, we know that people love their cats and we acknowledge that and it’s a matter of striking a new balance.”

The council will also again consider creating a new by-law to prevent and manage the nuisance caused by abandoned shopping trolleys.

A trolley by-law which allowed the council to fine shoppers and supermarkets up to $187.50 was repealed by parliament earlier this year.

“The comments from the Parliamentary Committee suggested that they weren’t keen on anyone being fined,” Mr Hanna said.

“The question is how can you have a by-law that doesn’t fine people and still modifies the behaviour and I don’t have an answer right now and that’s what we need to look at.”

Mr Hanna said the council would look at different options and was hopeful the by-law changes and additions would be accepted.

The council will endorse draft by-laws and release them for community consultation next month before presenting to State Parliament in July.