South Gippsland Shire Council has adopted a 24/7 cat containment order across the entire Shire as part of its Domestic Animal Management Plan 2026-2029, tightening restrictions beyond the originally proposed sunset-to-sunrise containment.
The amendment, moved by Cr Sarah Gilligan at Wednesday 10 December's council meeting, passed unanimously after councillors heard arguments about protecting the region's native wildlife from roaming cats.
"Cats are apex predators, they do so much damage," Cr Gilligan said. "I believe that it's every cat owner's responsibility to make sure your cat is contained to your property 24 hours a day."
The original draft plan had proposed a sunset-to-sunrise containment order, but Cr Gilligan successfully argued for the stricter 24/7 requirement.
"The time of having cats wandering around, killing aimlessly or even just playing with wildlife for fun I think are over."
Cr Brad Snell supported the amendment, describing his frequent encounters with cats hunting native wildlife.
"I've lost count of the amount of times that I've been wandering around parks and gardens and in the bush and I've seen that nice little cluster of feathers where a bird once was," Cr Snell said. "I've lost count of the amount of times where I've been driving down the road and I've seen a feral cat jumping across the freeway in front of me and off into the scrub in search of lizards, frogs and whatever else [it] can sink its teeth into."
Mayor Nathan Hersey said the changes represent a balanced approach to managing domestic animals while protecting the region's unique wildlife. "We in this area have a very beautiful region with a lot of unique wildlife and a lot of that comes under threat because of the cats that do get out and do damage and harm as well," Mayor Hersey said.
The Domestic Animal Management Plan 2026-2029 covers a range of issues including officer training, pet registration, nuisance management, dog attacks, restricted dog breeds, education, and animal businesses. Cara Schultz
