Should cat management be the purview of local government? Photo: Dione David.
The claws came out in a debate about cat containment at Wollongong City Council.
Ongoing tensions between the Labor and Greens factions of the council boiled over when Greens councillor Deirdre Stuart put forward a motion urging the council to support the Companion Animals Amendment Bill put to the NSW Parliament by the NSW Greens.
She said the council was currently hamstrung by the lack of legislative requirements for cat owners to prevent their pets from roaming, and as a result domestic cats were able to wreak havoc on native species and be a pest to other residents.
She also argued that containment meant pet cats were less likely to spread disease or die as a result of misadventure.
In the public access forum, resident David Winterbottom said he strongly supported the motion.
“I’m not opposed to cat ownership, but they do need to be contained,” he said.
“Lamentably this is not an issue over which the council has responsibility, and I support it being a local as well as state issue.”
A petition in support of the motion signed by 298 people was also presented to the council.
Cr Stuart’s fellow Greens councillors, Kit Docker and Jess Whittaker, alongside independent councillor Andrew Anthony, all supported the motion.
“It’s about responsible ownership, aligning the expectations for cats with what we already have for dogs,” Cr Docker said.
Labor councillor and deputy mayor Linda Campbell saw red however, and said council was not the place to discuss state government matters.
“We are in Wollongong Council, not the Upper House of NSW Parliament in Macquarie Street,” she said.
“I have never run for another level of government and have no desire to, nor to use this chamber to debate issues that rightly belong in other spheres of government.
“We have multiple responsibilities we have to deal with without taking on others.”
At this point she paused to tell Cr Docker, who attempted to call a point of order, to “sit down”.
“Are we to have a notice of motion for every bill the Greens introduces to the Upper House this term of council,” she continued.
“The NSW Animal Welfare committee recently found there was insufficient evidence into cat containment laws or curfew, that these are likely to create equity issues and have disproportionate impacts on people from low-income communities and renters.
“I agree steps need to be taken, but for the reasons I have given I will not support this motion.”
Labor councillor Richard Martin also disparaged the motion – so much so it influenced his sartorial choices for the evening.
He said he believed the Greens had used a neighbourhood forum to drum up support for the motion.
“I am wearing black tonight because I find it unbelievable this chamber is telling the Upper House of NSW how to vote,” he said.
“This is the thin edge of the wedge. All hell would break loose if the State Government dictated to us what we should do.
“I’ve had inquiries from my constituents about a dingo in Woonona, deer, foxes eating chickens in Russell Vale and goats coming back, but not one from anyone complaining about cats, so I’ll be voting against the motion.”
Councillor Ryan Morris proposed an amended motion, which would ask for councillors to be briefed on the council’s ability to manage cats in future.
It was supported by all the Labor councillors.
Lord Mayor Tania Brown said the amended motion reflected concern about feral animals without wading into state politics.
Cr Whittaker said she was disappointed by the debate.
“This council previously supported doing something about cats; I’m not sure what’s changed,” she said.
The amended motion was carried by the majority, with Crs Whittaker, Docker and Stuart voting against it.
