A Domestic Animal Management Plan ( DAMP ) is up for adoption by Nillumbik Council at the May 13 meeting of the Council’s Planning and Consultation Committee. Among other things, the plan will require that a cat curfew be implemented throughout the shire.
Cats, whether feral or domestic, are an introduced predator, so they upset the natural balance. There are a total of 3.8 million pet cats in Australia, of which 1.1 million are indoor cats, leaving 2.7 million free to roam. Roaming pet cats kill 390 million animals per year in Australia, including reptiles, birds and mammals. That’s an average of 186 animals, mostly native species, per roaming domestic cat each year. For more information see this study from Sydney University.
Remarkably, Nillumbik “the Green Wedge Shire” is one of the few local governments which does not responsibly control cats, so this proposal is long overdue.
For a more detailed discussion of this issue go to the Wedge Tales website here:
https://wedgetales.org.au/2025/04/29/nillumbik-council-to-vote-on-cat-curfew/
You can read the full DAMP here https://participate.nillumbik.vic.gov.au/DAMP-2025
You can contact your local Nillumbik councillor ( https://www.nillumbik.vic.gov.au/Council/Councillors-wards-and-elections/Councillors ) if you want to indicate your support for the proposal.
You can also register to speak at the Council meeting via this email: governance@nillumbik.vic.gov.au