Surf Coast Shire councillors make decision on proposed 24 hour cat curfew

Surf Coast Shire councillors have voted on whether felines should be contained to Surf Coast Shire properties 24 hours a day.

Cats, including Thomas (pictured) would be banned from leaving his owner’s property under plans proposed by Surf Coast Shire council. Picture: Alan Barber

Cat owners in Surf Coast Shire will no longer be allowed to let their felines roam free, after the council voted to implement a controversial 24 hour curfew.

The curfew requires owners to confine cats to their properties at all times, unless appropriately restrained.

It extends to all properties in the shire, including rural properties.

Surf Coast Shire councillors voted almost unanimously in support of the plan at Tuesday night’s council meeting, with Paul Barker being the only vote against.

In moving the motion, councillor Rose Hodge said it did not “force cats into enclosures” but put the onus onto owners to be responsible for their pets.

“The cat curfew is about responsible pet ownership and ensuring cats are safe and not roaming from their home,” she said.

“Owners should be very conscious of the way cats behave.”

Ms Hodge said 76 per cent of cat owners surveyed by Surf Coast Shire already kept their cats on their property at all times.

In supporting the curfew, councillor Heather Wellington, a cat owner herself, said she believed the move did not go far enough.

“The threat cats pose to native wildlife is enormous. We’ve spent years planting very significant plantations of native trees, we really value and cherish the birds that come to them,” she said.

“I’m disappointed that this regulation may not stop people (on similar properties) allowing their cats to roam any time of the day or night. Our property is 100 acres, others might be thousands...I’m disappointed in the scope, but the intent is there.”

Opposing the move, councillor Paul Barker said the regulations would be “impossible to enforce”.

“I’m concerned that there are going to be countless hours of officer time spent policing these rules that will result in nothing,” he said.

Ms Hodge said the curfew would be implemented efficiently.

“I don’t see our rangers going out on cat hunts and wasting time,” she said.

“It would be more reactive... especially from neighbours if they’ve got a problem cat.”

Ms Hodge said that like all policies relating to pets, it would be regularly reviewed under the umbrella of the shire’s domestic animal management plan.

“There will be more data collected over the next couple of years and we’ll see how it is,” she said.

A six-month transition period will be put in place to help owners adapt to the new curfew.

Decision looms on 24/7 Surf Coast cat curfew

Cats will be banned from leaving their owners’ properties if plans for a 24 hour curfew across the Surf Coast Shire are endorsed by councillors.

Councillors will vote at Tuesday night’s council meeting on a recommendation from officers to force owners to confine cats to their properties at all times, unless appropriately restrained.

Local law currently requires cats in urban areas across the Surf Coast Shire to be securely confined to the owner’s premises from 8pm to 6am.

In rural areas there are no restrictions as it is difficult to confine a cat to a farm, and they are often instrumental in controlling vermin.

According to a report prepared by council officers ahead of the meeting, the new cat confinement order would be “likely to reduce registered cats’ impact on neighbours and their pets, wildlife or becoming a nuisance within the municipality, by confining them to their registered owner’s property”.

The report noted, if endorsed, officers would implement a “six-month transition to the enhanced cat confinement order” where they would assist residents in making modifications to their property.

“Extensive stakeholder consultation has been conducted by council including the catitude survey during 2022, and engagement indicating support for a more restrictive cat confinement order,” the report noted.

The report also noted council officers considered incentives including discounted registration, but the measures were ultimately not supported due to the impact on council resources.

If the order is implemented council rangers will be able to issue an infringement to a registered cat owner found in breach of the order, with one penalty unit for a first offence and three penalty units for a second or subsequent offence.

A community engagement survey, conducted last year, garnered responses from 684 residents, 42 per cent who were cat owners.

According to the report, 52 per cent of respondents said they had experienced a nuisance cat in the last 12 months; 52 per cent wanted the urban cat curfew to be more restrictive and 58 per cent said they wanted a cat curfew from 8pm to 6am in rural areas.

The majority of cat owners (285 from 286) responded “no” when asked about changing the law to a 24-hour cat curfew, with 131 cat owners stating they would need more than two years to comply with a curfew.

Alternative options, including restricting the enhanced curfew to urban areas, expanding the existing 8pm-6am curfew to rural areas and keep the existing confinement order are not recommended by councillors.

If endorsed, the order will come into effect from September 30.

Originally published as Surf Coast Shire councillors make decision on proposed 24 hour cat curfew