Ipswich City Council reassessing plan to discontinue dog registration discounts after community backlash

Ipswich City councillors may reconsider their recent decision to discontinue the dog registration fee discounts currently enjoyed by more than 200 dog owners across the region following backlash from the community.

Dog breeders will be among those impacted by the changes if effected in the 2022-23 registration period. Picture: File / Tim Hunter.

Following a number of complaints from residents, Ipswich City Council may reconsider its recent decision to scrap the dog registration fee discounts currently enjoyed by more than 200 local dog owners.

The council had decided to discontinue three registrations — and as such discounts on registration fees — to “improve (the) council’s position” and incentivise people to desex their dogs.

A report providing clarification about the changes was tabled at the council’s Governance and Transparency Committee meeting on Thursday June 16 after the council endorsed the changes in April and the community indicated its “interest” in the matter.

If instated, the changes will see the discontinuation of three dog registration classifications — farm dogs, Dogs Queensland members, and obedience-trained dogs — and affect 299 registered dogs owned by 217 Ipswich residents.

The report stated registration renewal notices with the new 2022-23 fees began arriving in the letterboxes of the region’s registered dog owners from May 27, but the owners were subsequently advised not to action them.

“Impacted dog owners (were) sent correspondence from the Animal Management and Biosecurity Manager advising that (the) council has received feedback from impacted dog owners, and will be discussing the discontinued classifications specifically,” the report read.

“The owners were advised not to action their 2022-23 registration renewal notice at this stage.”

Dog breeders will be among those impacted by the changes if effected in the 2022-23 registration period. Picture: File / Tim Hunter.

Under the proposal, Dogs Queensland members will have the 50 per cent discount they currently receive — and will have received since 2018 — on their dog registration fees discontinued in the 2022-23 registration period.

“This policy amendment brings Dogs Queensland members who chose to participate in activities that require them to keep entire dogs in line with other members of the community who chose to keep entire dogs,” the council report read.

Discounts would also be scrapped for the owners of 78 eligible ‘obedience-trained’ dogs across the region.

“This discount is limited to no less than the desexed pensioner rate of $28, meaning these owners received a $11 per annum discount on registration,” the report read.

“These dog registrations are listed to return to the Normal Dog Desexed classification in the 2022-23 registration period.”

Finally, the changes would see the separate registration of farm dogs discontinued in the 2022-23 registration period.

Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said she was in favour of the council reinstating the classifications. Picture: File

It is understood the council has, to date, received three complaints and two enquiries about the proposed changes. The number of calls received by the council in relation to the proposed changes is not known.

Council officers have since put forward three options to councillors: discontinue the classifications as they decided to do in April, reinstate the 299 affected dog registration records and implement a grandfather clause, or reinstate the classifications.

While no decision was made at the council’s meeting on Thursday, Mayor Teresa Harding indicated she was in favour of reinstating the classifications and the discounts.

“There’s about 299 dogs that were impacted by losing this discount. And these are people who have memberships with Dogs Queensland, they’re responsible dog owners,” Cr Harding said.

“Some of them are breeders and they’re very proud of what they do. So that’s where my mind is sitting at this stage.”

The councillors within the committee unanimously decided to have the report referred to the ordinary meeting on June 30, so that all councillors may participate in a decision.