Proposed new animal management rules based on community feedback

Published on 29 July 2021

Council has listened to valuable feedback from the community and is proposing changes to three animal management rules in Frankston City.

The proposed changes would see dogs allowed in city centre, specifically the area bounded by Davey Street, Kananook Creek and Fletcher Road, Frankston, a dog free roam area on the foreshore and a 24-hour cat curfew

Frankston City Mayor, Kris Bolam said the proposed changes were based on 750 responses received from the community during extensive consultation on the current animal management orders (rules) earlier this year.

“We understand that our residents love their pets and these are significant changes, so we want to make sure everyone has had the chance to have their say.

“Council recognises the important part animals play in our lives, and is open to increasing dogs’ access to our city and beach should the community tell us that’s what they want.

“Frankston is unique in that many residential properties are adjacent or in close proximity to our natural reserves. Cats are wonderful pets, but they are also more predatory by nature. With more than 5000 cats registered in Frankston City, it poses a real and legitimate threat to our native wildlife.

“Council orders are in place to guide and support owners’ management of their pets so they can live in harmony with neighbours, our wider community, local wildlife and the environment,” Mayor Bolam said.

Have your say before midnight Tuesday 17 August by visiting Engage Frankston! The site also provides information on registering to speak about the proposed orders at a submitters’ meeting on Monday 23 August.

Once the consultation period closes, Council will consider the feedback received and keep the community updated on any changes to the animal management orders.

The following table outlines current Council orders and proposed changes to the orders:

Council Order	Current Order	Proposed Changes
Cat Curfew	The owner of a cat must not allow that cat to wander at large outside the owner’s property between sunset and sunrise.	This order will be amended to require cat owners to confine their cats on their premises 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Roam free area on foreshore	Dogs are not permitted on the foreshore between 9.30am and 7.30pm between 1 December and 31 March. Dogs are permitted at other times, provided they are under effective control of a chain, cord or leash.	This order will be amended to allow for a section of the foreshore to be designated as a roam free area for dogs.
Dogs in Frankston CAA	Dogs are prohibited from the CAA area of Frankston (City Centre)	This order will be removed. Dogs will be allowed in the CAA and will be subject to current laws regarding dogs (must be on a leash, owner must pick up after their pet, and must be registered).

Mayor Bolan said: Compared to other municipalities, we offer unique incentives for animal owners to register their pets. This includes a discount for accredited dog obedience training that rewards owners with a 10 per cent reimbursement of the fee, if undertaken with an approved training organisation.

“We also have a policy if a pet is found lost or roaming and it has no previous history or similar incidents, we will return the pet home to the owner in the first instance.

“And to encourage more residents to adopt a pet from Council’s pound service, we give away 15 pets free each year following our annual Pet’s Day Out event in October.”

The Domestic Animals Act allows Councils across Victoria to determine rules about the presence of dogs and cats in public places.