THE City of Swan has revealed it would not pursue cat-free zones in Ellenbrook if the recently introduced Cat Bill 2011 was passed by Parliament.
Local Government Minister John Castrilli introduced the Cat Bill on June 15, which aims to reduce the thousands of stray cats euthanised each year and to make cat owners responsible for their pets.
If passed, the legislation would require identification, registration and sterilisation of domestic cats and make local government responsible for administering and enforcing it.
A phase-in period would give local governments and cat owners time to prepare for the legislation’s introduction from November 1, 2012. Micro-chipping, sterilisation and registration would come into effect one year later.
The City last year earmarked Morning Park, Moulton Wetland Park and Woodlake Park as potential cat-free zones and went as far as seeking community feedback in order to include it in the local law.
City of Swan chief executive Mike Foley said the City was still collating responses but if passed, the Cat Bill 2011 would make the cat-free zones unnecessary.
“The introduction of the Bill would mean (cat-free zones were) no longer necessary as under Section 26 of the Cat Bill 2011 an authorised person may seize a cat in a public place,” he said.
He said the City would have to eliminate Division 5 of the City’s Consolidated Local Laws 2005, which dealt with cats.
“Submissions about the proposed review of the City’s Consolidated Local Laws closed on February 4, 2011,” he said.
“These are being collated and a report will be compiled.
“A date for this has not been set.”
Mr Foley said the City supported Cat Bill 2011 but predicted the registration component would have a significant financial impact on local government.
“(The City would require) additional employee resources,” he said.
“It is most likely that the City’s customer advocates (Rangers) will be the people authorised to perform particular functions under the proposed Act.
“The City is still establishing how the application of the legislation will affect staff.”
He said given the new laws would not be fully operational until 2013, the City had sufficient time to make provisions for staffing and additional service resources in future budgets.
He said the City had put down 274 cats between July, 2010, and April, 2011.