Dear Editor,
As reported in the Wombat Post on August 26th, Council’s Draft Animal Management Plan is open for community comment until September 8th. Readers, please assist Council by reading the draft and providing comments to Council.
In July last year, approximately 90% of the 440 submitters to the review supported the introduction of a cat curfew to stop cats roaming outside their owner’s property. As reported in the Wombat Post July 23rd last year, domestic cats kill around 300 million native animals each year across Australia and feral cats kill around 1.2 Billion! No wonder that we do not see as many native birds, mammals and lizards as we used to.
Thirteen months after the community overwhelmingly supported a cat curfew, the Draft Plan indicates that there has been very little action other than proposing to “explore the feasibility of introducing a cat curfew” next year and implementing it (if adopted) in two years time. That’s three years after the community strongly asked for the curfew!
There are a number of Councils which already have cat curfews, so it is not too difficult to do so. Educating owners urgently in an effective manner is also needed rather than just posting words as they have personal responsibility for their pets.
I ask readers to make submissions by 8th September and urge Council to give this important issue much higher priority.
Victor Szwed,
Daylesford
