Page 3961 - Week 11 - Thursday, 26 September 2019
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Amendment negatived.
Clause 18, as amended, agreed to.
Proposed new clauses 18A and 18B.
MR STEEL (Murrumbidgee—Minister for City Services, Minister for Community Services and Facilities, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Roads) (11.58): I move amendment No 9 circulated in my name [see schedule 1 at page 4003], which inserts new clauses 18A and 18B.
The bill already covers the appropriate transportation of all animals to prevent injury or death, and the existing act deals with appropriate transport of dogs in utes. However, the government amendment will apply a strict liability offence to not appropriately restraining a dog in a moving vehicle, to allow for the legislation to be applied effectively on the ground and an infringement notice to be issued.
This amendment is proposed to bring this offence in line with other similar duty of care offences in the bill, ensuring that the amendments read clearly and consistently and the resulting legislation can be properly enforced. Dogs are at serious risk of suffering injury or death if they are not transported appropriately, both on the back of and inside vehicles, and they also present a safety risk to other passengers in the vehicle.
Dog owners and those responsible for transporting dogs have a responsibility to transport dogs in a way that does not directly cause harm or, in particular, risk the dog jumping on to the road. No particular restraint mechanism is specified. This allows flexibility in the way a person might restrain a dog, for example, using a harness or a crate. This amendment also ensures appropriate exemptions for assistance animals.
Proposed new clauses 18A and 18B agreed to.
Clauses 19 to 78, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 79.
MR STEEL (Murrumbidgee—Minister for City Services, Minister for Community Services and Facilities, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Roads) (12.00): I move amendment No 10 circulated in my name [see schedule 1 at page 4004]. Amendment No 10 responds to scrutiny committee comments on the bill and clarifies that a temporary animal prohibition order can be issued on a person individually or jointly with another person. This makes the provision consistent with other animal ownership bans in the bill.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 79, as amended, agreed to.
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