By Kate Taylor<\/p>\n
The good people of Moorabool are being asked by Council to make a decision on a potentially purr-y little problem.
\nThe results from a council cat curfew feasibility study are in and the issue is once again going out for further community consultation for introduction or not.
\nGetting the councillors to agree on the curfew details was like\u2026 herding wild cats.
\nEast Ward Councillor Jarrod Bingham argued at the 4 March council meeting that a cat curfew would help conservation efforts.
\n\u201cCats are responsible for wildlife going extinct,\u201d Cr Bingham said.
\nHe also said compliance could be community-managed, with residents trapping problem cats.
\n\u201cIf there is a problem cat, residents would have the ability to get a cat cage from council and trap it,\u201d Cr Bingham said.
\nThe report noted if a curfew is introduced, council would need to respond to added complaints and invest in a larger cattery impound to meet current and future demand.
\n\u201cBudget implications have been considered which may include the purchase of additional cat traps and an increase in vet fees due to the potential increase in cat impound numbers.
\n\u201cThese costs may be offset somewhat by increased registration numbers and infringement revenue however on discussion with other Councils it seems many cats that are trapped are not reclaimed (not microchipped or registered), and as such homes need to be found for these animals through adoption programs and local refuges.\u201d
\nThe majority of Moorabool\u2019s neighbouring Councils currently do not have a cat curfew in place with the exception of Ballarat City Council, which currently has one in place and Macedon Ranges Shire who will be commencing a cat curfew on 1 July 2020.
\nConsideration was also given as to whether councillors would prefer the introduction of a 24-hour curfew or a specifically timed curfew such as 6pm to 6am, and would it apply for the entire shire.
\nCentral Ward Councillor Paul Tatchell objected to the motion, saying the cost of compliance would be prohibitive and the cost of compliance officers working at night, and especially given council already struggles with compliance enforcement without adding more to the workload.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve seen in cities the cat curfew working well in concentrated areas, it\u2019s easy to manage and they have the capacity for compliance\u2026 why run this risk now when we cannot manage what we already have. We need to get all other compliance under control first, we don\u2019t need to be putting out any more thought bubbles. I\u2019m not against it in principle, but it would be introducing a very difficult thing to manage in this shire,\u201d Cr Tatchell said.
\nEast Ward Councillor Tom Sullivan supported the motion as the next step in the process.
\n\u201cMy take is, this is just going out for further community consultation with all the information at hand,\u201d Cr Sullivan said.
\n Councillors voted to engage in more community consultation with residents on a potential cat curfew, with Councillors Paul Tatchell and Tonia Dudzik voting against it.<\/p>\n