Page 1367 - Week 04 - Thursday, 30 March 2017
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number of occasions, this strategy is a comprehensive and long-term approach to addressing animal welfare and management, including the issue of dangerous dogs.
I note again that this Assembly yesterday passed a motion seeking the government’s response to the Assembly by September on the issue of improving legislation and regulation as they relate to dangerous dogs. But having had the opportunity to again read the animal welfare and management strategy, I would like to draw to Mr Doszpot’s attention a number of references to animal attacks in the strategy. For example, the overview of objective No 3 states:
In order to maintain community safety and urban environmental amenity, the ACT Government requires resources to deliver proactive management activities, as well as to respond efficiently and effectively to instances of animal nuisance and attacks and to respond appropriately to welfare concerns.
This strategy proposes actions that improve community safety and urban environmental amenity. Actions include developing policies to manage domestic animals in urban areas and introducing measures which support targeted investment in community infrastructure to facilitate responsible animal management.
On page 13 the strategy states:
TCCS is responsible for administering the Domestic Animals Act, the Animal Welfare Act and some licensing (e.g. use of circus animals) under the Animal Welfare Act. TCCS provides domestic animal management services to the ACT community, including; registration, nuisance and attack investigations, collection of stray and roaming dogs, cat containment, community engagement and education, and management of the domestic animals shelter.
Action item 3.1.1 on page 19 states:
Undertake community engagement activities to improve ACT government knowledge of community expectations, including expected service levels, related to animal welfare and management activities.
I look forward to reporting back to the Assembly, as the Assembly agreed yesterday, on further work that the government will do to look at strengthening and improving animal welfare actions, including in respect of dangerous dogs.
Also, yesterday Mr Milligan asked me a range of questions around colonoscopy waiting times in ACT public hospitals and I would like to provide an answer to Mr Milligan’s questions. He asked about colonoscopy waiting times in ACT public hospitals, referring to question on notice 71.
He asked questions in respect of the 2016-17 financial year period to date. It is a very long question. I will not read it out again. The answer is that the majority of patients referred by their GPs to the specialist gastroenterologist in the public outpatient clinic require an endoscopic procedure such as a colonoscopy.
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