With recent controversy about Dog Of Leash Guidelines, questions have been asked about what Council does with the pet registration fees it collects.
All dog and cats living in the area must be registered. First registration is free and thereafter fees range from $79.50 ($39.50 concession) for desexed animals to non-desexed fees of $238.40 ($119.20 concession). Restricted breeds face a fee of $326.60.
Council budgeted about $2.5M for animal management in 24/25.
In response to a question at Council, the Mayor provided this information on how the fees were spent:
‘Pet registration fees are dedicated to various initiatives and facilities that benefit people who own pets as well as the wider community. These include:
Pound Services: The after-hours collection and care of escaped or abandoned animals, and the reunification of lost pets with their owners
Animal Management: Funding animal management staff to handle nuisance and noise complaints, patrols to enforce pet regulations, stray animal collections and investigations into reports of dog attacks
Community Programs: Supporting pet events and educational programs for responsible pet ownership
Dangerous Dog Management: Ensuring owners are managing dogs that have been declared dangerous, and that they are in compliance with regulations
Facilities: Maintenance and creation of dog parks, including off-leash areas and fenced parks – larger projects also come out of the broader budget through annual budgeting processes.’
Cost of consultation
TWiSK also asked for details about the costs of the recent work to develop the Off Leash Guidelines. The Mayor replied as follows:
‘Our Council’s Capital Budget 2023/24 committed $150,000 to undertake community engagement regarding the Dog Off-Leash Guidelines. This funding contributed to the establishment and operations of the deliberative Community Panel, engagement of a consultant and communication collateral and resourcing.
‘The Panel, which undertook four workshops, was engaged to develop and recommend five principles and supporting statements to form the basis of the Dog Off-Leash Guidelines. The details are outlined in:
Panel_Recommendations-_Dog_Off-Leash_Guidelines.pdf
