Page 1809 - Week 05 - Thursday, 16 May 2019
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At the highest end of the scale, penalties for serious animal welfare offences in this bill have been tightened and harsher penalties applied for the most serious animal welfare offences. There is also a comprehensive new fine framework in place to enable officers on the ground to take action. This means the legislation will be strong and enforceable to achieve the best outcomes for the welfare of animals, in line with community expectations and best practice.
During the community consultation on the draft bill, 120 individuals and 30 businesses and organisations, including not-for-profit organisations, provided submissions. All these have been considered in finalising the bill and the explanatory statement. I thank the community and RSPCA ACT, who contributed to the large body of work that has been undertaken. There was a high level of support from the community during the consultation to recognise animal sentience and to better protect and promote the welfare of animals.
I note that, following feedback from the community, the bill no longer restricts a person to walking no more than three dogs at a time. We listened to people through the consultation process and will be focusing on effective control, which means that any person in control of any number of dogs, either on or off a lead, must be able to have effective control at all times—a requirement under the Domestic Animals Act. This is critical for the safety of people and other animals in our community.
This bill builds on the significant legislative reform we have seen over the last 18 months in regard to dog management and welfare, which included a ban on greyhound racing in the ACT and stronger preventative measures to reduce the number of dangerous dogs in the community. The animal welfare amendments complement these changes and uphold the principles of responsible pet ownership which are proven to effectively improve animal management and welfare outcomes. They do not unduly punish responsible dog owners but will proactively and effectively target people who mistreat animals.
I note that we are progressing the Canberra dog model in 2019 to improve how we manage dogs in the ACT both in terms of dog management and dog welfare. The Canberra model will present a clear set of on-the-ground actions to build on the new domestic animal laws through a combined approach of education, responsible pet ownership and increased compliance. I look forward to releasing that soon.
The bill will also be supported by targeted compliance teams, with resources, proactively on the ground to support the new animal welfare laws. I look forward to continuing to work closely and collaboratively with the RSPCA and our RSPCA inspectors in ensuring on-the-ground animal welfare outcomes and best practice animal welfare and management.
2019 will see a strategic and consolidated approach to improving how we manage and care for animals in the ACT. We must have robust and comprehensive legislation to support this. With this bill, the ACT will have the highest animal welfare standards and best practice laws for protecting animals. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mrs Jones) adjourned to the next sitting.
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