Posted on February 28, 2025 by Nathan Sloan and Katie Mortimer
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Review of the Companion Animals Act 1998
Yesterday, the NSW Government announced a review of the Companion Animals Act 1998 (CA Act). The CA Act sets out the duties and responsibilities of owners of companion animals and allows for enforcement action by local councils. The CA Act was last comprehensively reviewed 20 years ago.
The Office of Local Government (OLG) has published a Discussion Paper as the first step of the review and seeks feedback from local councils and other stakeholders to inform future amendments to the CA Act.
The Discussion Paper identifies that the NSW Government aims to transition the CA Act from being predominantly focused on rules and processes, to legislation focused on principles and outcomes. Three focus areas are being considered:
- Strategic framework for encouraging responsible ownership for companion animals.
- Compliance and enforcement role of councils.
- Companion animal population and rehoming.
For the second focus area, the Discussion Paper seeks feedback on changes to legislation that could support responsible pet ownership, support local councils to better manage dangerous and restricted dogs, and also queries whether the current enforcement provisions in the CA Act are appropriate.
Submissions can be made on the Discussion Paper until 4 May 2025. The Discussion Paper is available here: Review of the Companion Animals Act 1998
To discuss this post please contact Nathan Sloan on 8235 9732.
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