Hepburn Shire to introduce cat curfew in move towards 24-hour containment policy

Residents breaching a cat curfew endorsed by a central Victorian council will face significant fines if they don’t confine their moggies.

Hepburn Shire Council is introducing a cat curfew in July.

Cat owners in Hepburn Shire who fail to confine their moggies to their properties overnight could face $185 fines when a new curfew is introduced from July this year.

Hepburn Shire Council – which includes the towns of Daylesford, Clunes, Creswick and Trentham – has endorsed the introduction of a dusk to dawn cat curfew from the beginning of the 2023-24 financial year.

It is a step towards the council having a 24-hour cat containment policy by 2025.

Hepburn Shire is moving towards a 24-hour cat containment policy by 2025.

A number of Victorian councils have introduced cat curfews in recent years in a bid to stop moggies roaming and killing wildlife, including the City of Whittlesea, Knox, and Monash, and with the laws sometimes proving controversial.

Hepburn Shire Mayor Brian Hood said community consultation showed 90 per cent of 450 respondents supported for the curfew.

“We know our community loves their pets,” he said.

“The curfew will help to reduce the risks associated with allowing cats to roam outdoors between dusk and dawn.

“Keeping cats indoors at night will reduce the chance of them breeding, fighting, becoming injured or killing wildlife.

“Organisations including the RSPCA and the Cat Protection Society of Victoria are supportive of curfews and many Victorian councils have already introduced these types of curfew measures.”

During non-daylight savings hours, cats will have to be contained between 6.30pm and 6.30am.

During daylight savings, the curfew will go from 8.30pm to 6.30am.

The council will issue warnings and notices to comply in relation to the policy.

But someone breaking the rules could be fined one penalty unit, currently $184.92, for a first offence, and three times that for subsequent offences.

All cats over three months of age must be microchipped and registered in Hepburn Shire, and any found outside during the curfew must be registered by an owner before it is released.

Registration is free for the first year.