Page 3262 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 21 August 2019
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Municipal services—dog management
MS CHEYNE: My question is to the minister for city services. Minister, can you please update the Assembly on the implementation of the Canberra model for dog management?
MR STEEL: I thank Ms Cheyne for her question. The Canberra model for dog management outlines the government’s vision for best practice dog management in the ACT. Our new model for dog management is based on three key principles: a safe community, responsible dog ownership and animal welfare.
The government is well underway with implementing the six objectives that will lead to best practice dog management for Canberra. One is that all dog owners are responsible for their dog. We have had one free microchipping day, at the million paws walk, and we are planning more events in the year and beyond. We are encouraging productive partnerships with organisations like the RSPCA, vets and pet businesses. We have begun building education and awareness of being a responsible dog owner across the territory with a new campaign: “own a dog, own the responsibility”.
We are ensuring that compliance has enforcement to keep the community safe from dangerous dogs, supported by our new six-member compliance team, which has joined our existing team of domestic animal rangers, to improve community safety and to better educate dog owners. We are ensuring that the rules are clear, so that dog owners know their responsibilities and obligations. We have recently released changes to off-leash dog areas, which are available online.
Also, we are ensuring that responsible dog owners are rewarded. As part of that aspect, we are providing dog bags and bins at all dog parks across the ACT and at other locations that are highly frequented by dogs and their owners.
MS CHEYNE: Minister, what changes have been made to these off-leash areas?
MR STEEL: I thank Ms Cheyne for her interest in this area. We are making common-sense changes to off-lead areas in the ACT. By default, if you have your dog out in public in Canberra it must be on a lead unless otherwise specified. Apart from Canberra’s seven dedicated dog parks, there are numerous areas that have been made designated off-leash areas as part of the changes, including ovals when formalised sporting events are not on and some schools when classes are not in session. Importantly, almost all Canberra households are within 800 metres of an off-leash dog area.
Even in designated off-leash areas, owners must retain effective control of their dog at all times, meaning that the dog can be prevented from approaching other animals or people and can return to the owner at their command. This makes it easier for dog owners to do the right thing and also improves community safety for non dog owners.
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