Dog Bylaws for Remote Communities

1. Dog Bylaws for Remote Communities By Glenn Marshall Director Works & Infrastructure Central Desert Regional Council Presentation to Inaugural Municipal Services Conference – NT Local Government 7 Oct 2015

2. OrHow to lay down with dogs and not get fleas By Glenn Marshall Director Works & Infrastructure Central Desert Regional Council Presentation to Inaugural Municipal Services Conference – NT Local Government 7 Oct 2015

3. Council’s aim:“Happy, Healthy Dogs & Owners” • Objectives: • Max 2 dogs per household (actually ‘per family’) • Reduce unwanted dog numbers • Remaining dogs healthy, fed & contained • Safer & healthier residents & communities • No longer a legislated responsibility under the Local Government Act, but what are consequences if not done?

4. Council Dog Program • Encourage owners to: • Desex wanted dogs • Forfeit unwanted dogs • Feed, look after and contain wanted dogs • Dog Management Policy (2015) *on website • Animal Management Plan (2014) *on website • Animal Management Coordinator (1 FTE) • Vet visits – 6 monthly • Field Officer training & active involvement • AMRRIC assistance • Dog Bylaws for legal certainty

5. Animal Management Coordinator • Coordinates & assists vet visits • Pre- and post- vet visits • Promotes animal health & well-being • Provides parasite treatments (Ivermectum) • Maintains dog database (supplied by AMRRIC) • Investigates complaints (nuisance & cheeky dogs) • Captures / euthanaises problem dogs • Education in schools • Trains Works staff in dog handling • Developing & enacting Dog Bylaw

6. Vet Visits • 6 monthly, focused on desexing and parasite treatment of wanted dogs, and removal of unwanted dogs. • 3 models used: • West – grant to Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation • Central/Lajamanu – contract vet (Ark Animal Hospital, Darwin) • East – ‘Canberra Mob’ volunteer vets • Have seen sustained improvement in dog healthand reduction in dog numbers

7. Field Officer involvement • Not seeking specialist animal officers amongst Field Crews • All Field Officers given basic training & skills • Cert II Rural Operations ‘dog handling’ units • Being developed by AMRRIC, for delivery thru CAT by Animal Mngt Coord (Cert IV TAA) • Ongoing mentoring by Animal Mngt Coordinator

8. AMRRIC assistance • NGO – Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities • Provides volunteer vets & nurses for AMRRIC-affiliated contract vets • Dog database app (most popular dog name: ‘Fluffy’) • Education in schools • Some double-up of Council roles • AMRRIC needs closer Council partnerships if it is to survive and optimise effectiveness

9. Council Program Funding • Annual Costs - $226,000. Expensive. • Coordinator & vehicle. $130k • Vets. $96k ($8k/SDC/yr). $2k per day. • Annual Income • Dog Rates Levy. $114k ($176 x 648 rated properties) • Outstation MES. $15k • Council core funding. $97k • Alternative service delivery models and costs? • What are other Council’s doing?

10. What are Bylaws? • A rule or law established by an organization or community to regulate itself. • Local laws established by Councils are referred to as ‘by-laws’ because their scope is regulated by the Northern Territory Government. • Local government bylaws are the most common type of bylaw in Australia.

11. Typical Animal Bylaws • Animal Management bylaws around Australia include such things as:- • Registration • Microchipping • Declared (dangerous breeds) and restricted animals • Impounding of stray animals or threatening animals • Welfare of animals (sick, malnourished, injured) • De-sexing

12. Benefits of animal bylaws to NT Councils • Bylaws give Council the legal authority to act on the welfare of animals • Council currently investigates complaints in regards to attacks, menaces, sick/injured/malnourished animals but are unable to legally act if there is non compliance and/or owners refuse to cooperate. • Enables Council to legally seize aggressive/dangerous animals if necessary • Greatly assists in ensuring animals are appropriately treated for disease, injury or suffering (compliance with the Animal Welfare Act). • Minimizes the risk to CDRC of legal action being taken for failure to act on animal welfare and animal attack issues. • Help ensure responsible animal ownership and safer, healthier communities.

13. Central Desert Bylaw • A ‘soft-start’ bylaw. • Acceptable , enforceable, realistic. • Focused on dogs. Minor cats and larger/feral animals • 2 dog policy encouraged, not enforced • Only applies to communities and outstations, not pastoral/mining/other properties • No money fines for non-compliance • No dog pounds (no funds to operate them) • Registration / microchipping not mandatory • LA pre-endorsement of bylaw contents • LA assistance when warnings issued

14. Central Desert Bylaw (cont) • Immediate dog removal if bite/injure/attack a person (unless on premises without permission) • Written warning (plus oral) for lesser offences, with forfeiture of animal if ongoing • Unowned or abandoned dogs removed • Animal Restriction Areas can be declared (e.g. Clinic) • LA can add extra conditions (non-legally binding) • * Council has dedicated animal burial areas at each landfill

15. Making a new Bylaw • See NTG Information Paper: ‘Council By-laws in the NT’ • Council drafts the Bylaw • NTG is providing substantial assistance in this case. They see it as a template for all Regional Councils to adopt/adapt if interested. • Council publishes proposed Bylaw. Min 21 days display/comment period. Council considers/incorporates feedback. • Bylaw forwarded to NT Minister responsible for Local Government Act. Recommends any changes back to Council. • Minister signs off and publishes notification in Government Gazette. • Bylaw effective from that day (unless provision in Bylaw for later start) • Minister tables Bylaw in Legislative Assembly within 3 days of gazette notification. LA can disallow Bylaw. • Council then responsible to inform/educate community

16. Making a new Bylaw (cont) • Central Desert RC Bylaw is in final draft stage. • Have already consulted all Local Authorities and received formal endorsement for content/intention. • Once draft ready, will go back to LAs and communities for another round of consultation. • Expect Bylaw to go live in early 2016.

17. Questions or comments?