Page 920 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 30 March 1993
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MR WOOD (Minister for Education and Training, Minister for the Arts and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (4.50): Madam Speaker, I thank members for their contributions thus far. I was a bit surprised by Mr Westende's concern about Ms Ellis's speech. I think he misunderstood it. I believe that there is a genuine bipartisan approach here. I think we are all concerned about the attacks and we all want to take strong measures to see that they do not keep happening. I am delighted that I have been able to talk recently to Ms Szuty and Mr Westende as we all seek means to improve the situation. They have come up with constructive ideas. I understand that Ms Szuty will be tabling something tomorrow in private members business. Mr Westende has also indicated that he will take this path.
The last attack has perhaps overtaken things just a little. On each occasion that there is an attack my level of anger rises, as I am sure that of my colleagues does. We are, I think, getting so angry that we are taking stronger and stronger action. Today I organised a meeting of the responsible dog owners, I suppose, and that denotes some sort of problem in that perhaps that is the wrong group to talk to in some ways because they are the ones who take care of their dogs.
Mr Cornwell: Who else do you talk to, Minister?
MR WOOD: Who else do I talk to? I think Mr Westende has said it. He said that owners must take responsibility. He went on to say, if I understood him, that if they do not take responsibility we must take strong action to see that they do. Unfortunately, we have to take that strong action. I think both sides of the Assembly agree that we do not want to impose restrictive or punitive measures in ideal circumstances. We would wish not to take steps like that. Unfortunately, there seems to be an element in the community, in so many areas, for whom we must legislate to ensure that control is maintained.
I am appalled by the attack on Friday. It has aroused my anger beyond the level it was at before. The situation is simply not satisfactory. It is reprehensible that people cannot walk safely in their neighbourhoods, and that is what is happening. Since March 1988 there have been 76 reported attacks by dogs. I do not know what the number of unreported attacks would be, such as where someone has been bitten by their own dog in their own backyard or a neighbour's dog in their own backyard. I should think it would be double that again. I will give you an indication of what the statistics tell us, but I draw a caution there. German shepherds, German shepherd crosses, Rottweilers and bull-terrier crosses accounted for over half of those attacks. I do not want to label the German shepherd, but that is also a very common breed. You expect, as it is a large animal, that it is going to occur more frequently in the statistics. Maybe it would be more significant if we looked at some other animals that are less common and that are biting more often. Of those 76 attacks, 37 were by unregistered dogs.
I have been advised that the dogs involved in the attack on the young girl on Friday have now been destroyed. I believe that that was done with the agreement of the owners, as, at this stage, it would need to be. I am sure that this will be a great relief to the injured child and to the rest of the local community. We estimate that there are 55,000 dogs or thereabouts in Canberra and we know that only about 18,000 are currently registered. This, as members have said, is intolerable. It is required that people register their dogs. We have taken strong
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