Thank you to everyone who participated in the first round of community engagement.

Your responses helped us to understand community needs and concerns for the management of dogs and cats in public places in Banyule, and draft a Discussion Paper to respond.

We're now inviting you to get involved and tell us what you think about some new ideas for managing dogs and cats in public places in Banyule.

Get involved

  • Survey

    Complete the survey until 12 May and tell us what you think about some of the potential ways for managing dogs and cats in public places in Banyule.

  • In-person drop-in sessions

    Come to a drop-in session to learn more about how Banyule might manage dogs and cats in public places in future:

    • Wednesday 24 April, 10.30am - 12 midday
      Bellfield Community Hub
      15 Daphnes Crescent, Bellfield
    • Wednesday 1 May, 4pm - 7pm
      Council offices Greensborough
      Community Meeting Rooms
      Level 4, 1 Flintoff Street, Greensborough
    • Wednesday 8 May, 4pm - 7pm
      Ivanhoe Library and Cultural Hub
      275 Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe

Background

Did you know that in 1998, Council adopted rules (a Public Order) for dogs and cats in public places?

The current rules state that dogs must be kept on a lead when they are on a Council road or footpath, and when they are within 5 metres of a shared pathway, children’s playground or barbeque area.

And you’ve probably seen signs at parks and reserves around Banyule that tell you whether you can take your dog or cat in with you. This is because the Public Order states that dogs and cats are not allowed to enter environmentally sensitive places.

This project is asking the Banyule community to give us feedback to help shape a new Public Order for dogs and cats in public places.

What we heard

Stage 1 community engagement

In November and December 2022, 760 people completed a survey to share their views on dogs and cats in public places. Key insights from the survey include:

Dogs - key themes

These themes were identified in survey responses regarding dogs in public spaces.

Cats - key themes

These themes were identified in survey responses regarding reports and experience of nuisance cats.

Definitions

Nuisance is defined by Section 32 of the the Domestic Animals Act 1994 and relates to a dog or cat injuring or endangering the health of a person, or creating noise which persistently occurs to the extent that it unreasonably interferes with the peace, comfort or convenience of a person in another premises.

Control is defined by Banyule's current Public Order under Section 26 of the Domestic Animals Act 1994 and includes dogs being on a lead on all streets, roads, carparks and shopping areas and within five metres of a shared footway (bike and pedestrian path). In addition, dogs and cats are not permitted, retrained or otherwise, within five metres of children's play equipment or public barbeques.

Effective control is defined by Banyule's current Public Order under Section 26 of the Domestic Animals Act 1994 and includes: controlling a dog by means of a chain, cord or leash; or being with 75 metres (clear and unobstructed) of its owner; and returning to the owner on command.