Australian Capital Territory
Domestic Animals (Cat Containment) Declaration 2018 (No 1)
Disallowable instrument DI2018–220
made under the
Domestic Animals Act 2000, s 81 (Declaration of cat containment)
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Section 81 of the Domestic Animals Act 2000 (the Act) permits the Minister to declare an area as an area where cats must be confined to their keeper’s or carer’s premises at all times or during stated times.  Before declaring a cat containment area, section 81 (1) of the Act requires that the Minister must be satisfied that cats in the area are a serious threat to native flora or fauna in the area.

This declaration updates the list of already-declared cat containment areas with the inclusion of the new Belconnen suburbs of Macnamara and Strathnairn. Under the West Belconnen Project Strategic Assessment, these suburbs are required to be declared and the Minister is satisfied that cats are a serious threat to native fauna in Macnamara and Strathnairn.

The declaration now also incorporates the Gungahlin Town Centre (east), as this area is required to be declared under the Gungahlin Strategic Assessment Biodiversity Plan. A map of this section is included in the disallowable instrument. 

Clause 3 (2) of the declaration provides that cats within declared cat containment areas must be confined to their keeper’s or carer’s premises at all times.

The declaration commences on the day after the last day when it could have been disallowed by the Legislative Assembly, as required by section 81 (3) (a) of the Act.

Before declaring a cat containment area, section 81(4) of the Act requires the Minister to give additional public notice of the making of the declaration.

The declaration revokes the Domestic Animals (Cat Containment) Declaration 2017 (No 1) (DI2017-199).