The office is independent of, but funded by the ACT Government

Mr Bob NeilACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment

Environment Exchange Canberra’s Cats – Pets or Pests

21 January 2015

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The office is independent of, but funded by the ACT Government

Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment

Legislated under the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment Act 1993 to:

• Conduct investigations into matters of environmental concern

As directed by the Minister, or at the Commissioner’s initiative into actions of an agency where those actions would have a substantial impact on the

environment of the ACT;

• Respond to complaints by members of the publicRelating to management of the environment of the ACT by the Territory or a

Territory authority; and

• ACT State of Environment ReportReport to the Minister once every four years, next SoER due December 2015.

Also, to make recommendations to Government and advocate for the environment and sustainability.

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The office is independent of, but funded by the ACT Government

Complaint- The Fair Watson

• Monitoring and enforcement of cat containment in relation to The Fair in North Watson –adjacent to Mt Majura Nature reserve.

Questions raised:1. Is the government aware of beaches of the Domestic

Animals Act 2000?2. How is cat containment enforced at The Fair?3. Who is responsible for enforcement?4. Are tenants made aware of their obligations under the Act?5. Is the Government considering alternative measures to

protect woodland birds at NW slope of Mt Majura?

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The office is independent of, but funded by the ACT Government

Answers – In short

1. DAS on behalf of the government has received no complaints and is unaware of breaches of the Domestic Animals Act 2000 at the Fair (However the RSPCA were aware of problems).

2. ACT Strata Management responds to reports of cats at The Fair but there is no evidence indicating that cat containment is enforced at The Fair.

3. TAMS DAS and other authorised people under the Act are responsible for enforcement.

4. Other than The Fair community website and fact sheets, no additional avenues were found that provide advice to tenants making them aware of their obligations under the Act.

5. Ongoing implementation of Action Plan 27 ACT Woodland Lowland Conservation Strategy is part of the alternative measures to protect woodland birds at NW slope of Mt Majura.

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The office is independent of, but funded by the ACT Government

Opportunities7 Recommendations delivered September 2014

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The office is independent of, but funded by the ACT Government

Signage

Recommendation 1

• Clear guidelines should be developed for cat containment areas including guidance for appropriate and consistent signage and communication of cat containment rules to promote continuing awareness of cat containment in declared areas.

• The use of road signs (as per Forde and Bonner) is recommended.

Current implementation status ?

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The office is independent of, but funded by the ACT Government

For example - Molonglo

• The suburbs of Wright and Coombs have been declared cat containment areas in DI 2012-182 on the ACT Legislation Register. This requirement for cat containment is advised on the Land Development Agency’s website, nevertheless there are no guidelines pertaining to how cat containment will be managed, and at the time of writing, signage is absent but funding for these suburbs is available for signs at entrances to exiting cat containment areas.

• If cat containment begins to be applied to other suburbs in response to increasing greenfield and in-fill development sites, guidelines around how to educate residents and enforce cat containment will need to be agreed to so that conservation and preservation outcomes are ensured.

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The office is independent of, but funded by the ACT Government

Education and awareness raising

Recommendation 2

• The ACT should begin targeted education and awareness campaigns directed at residents real estate/rental agencies, developers, body corporate, pet shop owners and other agencies who have a direct relationship to areas where cat containment rules are in place.

• The education campaign should involve cooperative compliance and enforcement activities by DAS and Parks and Conservation Service.

Current implementation status ?

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The office is independent of, but funded by the ACT Government

Reminders

Recommendation 3

• As part of ongoing targeted awareness consideration be given to sending annual reminders to residents in cat containment areas about their responsibilities.

• This could be attached to rates bills or car registration renewal notices.

Current implementation status ?

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The office is independent of, but funded by the ACT Government

Comprehensive compliance and enforcement policy

Recommendation 4

• The ACT Government, in consultation with RSPCA ACT develop and implement a comprehensive compliance and enforcement policy clearly setting out the responsibilities of all parties.

• This compliance and enforcement policy should be publically available.

Current implementation status?

• TAMS website reads: “What If I live in a containment area and don’t contain my cat?”

• TAMS’ Rangers are able to seize cats found in a declared area. An infringement notice of up to $1,500 can be issued to the keeper or carer of a cat that is not complying with the cat containment requirements.

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The office is independent of, but funded by the ACT Government

Nature Conservation advice when declaring cat containment areas

Recommendation 5

• The ACT consider a formal mechanism to provide the Minister, with administrative responsibility for the Domestic Animals Act 2000 with nature conservation advice in declaring cat containment area.

Current implementation status?

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The office is independent of, but funded by the ACT Government

Cat containment in all new suburbsRecommendation 6

• Consideration should be given to declaring cat containment in all new suburbs prior to housing development, as per the recommendation of the ACT Responsible Cat Ownership Steering Committee.

Current implementation statusTAMS website currently reads: A cat containment area can be declared in a suburb, or area of a suburb, if there is a serious nature conservation threat as a result of cat activities. The ACT Government pursuant to Section 81 of the Domestic Animals Act 2000, has declared the following areas to be cat containment areas:– Bonner, Crace, Coombs, Denman Prospect, Forde – Lawson, Molonglo, Wright and– The Fair at Watson

Cats will need to be contained in Moncrieff from 18 March 2015 and in Jacka from 1 January 2017.

“Residents within cat containment areas are required to keep their cats confined to their premises at all times.”

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The office is independent of, but funded by the ACT Government

IACRC report on Directorate websites

Recommendation 7

• That the joint IACRC report is made publically available via EPD and TAMSD website.

Current implementation status?

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The office is independent of, but funded by the ACT Government

Thank you for your time! Your feedback, comments and questions are welcome...

You can contact the Office by phone on6207 2626

Or via email atenvcomm@act.gov.au

Web - www.envcomm.act.gov.au Twitter - @EnvComm_ACT

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The office is independent of, but funded by the ACT Government

Thank you (Miaow)Images courtesy of NSW Environment and Heritage

Friends of Mt Majura and TAMSD

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