Page 3017 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 14 September 1993
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present and they realise that there is no point in trying to make good friends with this person. The important point is that our estimate of about 30,000 domestic cats in the ACT has been shown in the recent householders survey to be a little conservative. It is more like 40,000 to 45,000 cats, and, if we do an extrapolation from that, even quite conservative estimates indicate that we are talking about in the order of one million birds, mammals and reptiles each year becoming victims to stray domestic and feral cats. So it is an issue that requires some effort and some control on our part.
The committee had the good fortune to visit the Sherbrooke Council in the Dandenongs near Melbourne, where there is a very effective cat management scheme operating. Although it had a few teething problems, the system seemed to work very well. Following that, we have recommended as a point for discussion that such a system could well be applied to the ACT, that is, that all domestic and farm cats be registered, be subject to a registration fee and wear an identification tag. We recognise that some cats simply will not wear collars and tags, and, that being the case, such owners could well consider a system used in Sherbrooke of having a microchip inserted just under the skin of the cat. A relatively inexpensive scanner can be used to get the name, address and any other details of the owners of that cat, and the cat's name as well. The registration fee for whole cats would be significantly higher than it would be for neutered cats, and cats would be confined within the registered address. I think that issue will be an important one for discussion in the community. That has proved quite successful in Sherbrooke, but it will test this community to see whether they are prepared to say that responsible ownership of cats includes containing that cat in the registered address.
Interestingly, the committee received a series of submissions on kangaroos. Kangaroos do not really fit into a broad concept of feral animals, but they certainly are part of an environmental concern about a species that is expanding at a rate that is out of balance with the surrounding species. The discussion paper makes some comments on how we think that ought to be handled.
In all these cases, particularly when we are dealing with feral animals, there is an issue that the animals are doing what is natural. We should in no way be blaming these animals. We ought to be ensuring that, whatever we do, whatever methods we choose to try to keep our environment sustainable and in balance, they should be humane. We ought to ensure that there is an appropriate ethical approach to the destruction of any animal when that is necessary. We do not resile from the fact that that is going to be necessary in some cases.
I extend my thanks, firstly, to the other members of the committee for their work in putting together this discussion paper, and also to the secretary, Bill Symington. I also express our gratitude to the people who made submissions to the Standing Committee on Conservation, Heritage and Environment and helped to educate us as to the difficulties and problems associated with feral animals and invasive plants throughout the ACT. There is a list of the 28 submissions received and the witnesses who appeared at our public hearing as an attachment to the paper. Mr Deputy Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity of being able to present this paper, and I commend it to the Assembly for discussion.
Debate (on motion by Ms Ellis) adjourned.
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