Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01747:reg:4:p76
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01747
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 4 (pt 76/80)
Character Range: 285795–290987

cat management)                                             Starting immediately
                                                                                         * Improving waste management, so feral cat populations are not supported by access to refuse and introduced rodents.
                                                                                         * Disseminating information to local residents about the One Health benefits of reducing feral cat populations for improving outcomes for people and livestock production as well as wildlife.
                                                                                         * Implementing feral cat control (e.g. via trapping and other methods appropriate to the location) with local government staff; and where feasible, by lending traps to community members. Continue to discourage TNR.
                                                                                     Links to Actions 1.2 and 1.3. Such management is especially critical in the priority areas identified in Action 2.6.
9.3                                                                                  Support local governments to improve pet cat management.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Very High  Very High (Low for each local government area)  Local governments; state ad territory departments with remit for local government matters; veterinary sector; companion animal management organisations (including AMRRIC for remote First Nations community cat management)  Starting immediately
                                                                                         * Develop incentive programs for registration, identification and desexing packages, especially in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage.
                                                                                         * Contract vets to travel to rural and remote areas and communities (i.e. areas lacking vet services) to carry out free or heavily subsidised desexing programs. There may be opportunities to work with the veterinary education sector to increase practical placements in remote areas where access to vet services for desexing is limited.
                                                                                         * Work with local communities to build support for expanding areas requiring 24/7 cat containment. This is likely to include collaborations with local vets and rescue organisations and shelters to disseminate information on caring for indoor and contained cats. New collaborations such as with the pet industry (e.g. pet product retailers), should also be explored.
                                                                                         * Establish cat-free suburbs near areas of high biodiversity value; this is most tractable in new housing developments, and the concept could be more actively promoted.
                                                                                         * Disseminate information on the conservation, livestock, human health and amenity problems from high roaming cat density, and the benefits of responsible cat ownership, to remote First Nations communities by the most appropriate messengers.
                                                                                         * Design and implement a monitoring program that can assist local governments to assess and report on the efficacy of cat management.
                                                                                     (See Objective 1 for regulatory and policy actions to support this management)
Enhance knowledge
9.4                                                                                  Improve the evidence base on the biodiversity impacts of feral cats living near human habitation and infrastructure.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Very High  Very High                                       Researchers; AMRRIC (for remote First Nations community cat management)                                                                                                                                                       Starting immediately
                                                                                         * Assess the impacts of predation by feral and pet cats on the population viability of select native species occurring in areas near human habitation and infrastructure (see Action 3.2).
                                                                                         * Monitor cat densities across a set of sites (cities-towns-remote communities-farms), preferably with contrasting management in place; use