Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01747:reg:9:p9
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01747
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 9 (pt 9/20)
Character Range: 337611–341692

Appendix 4. Relevant legislation relating to feral and pet cats, and plans and protocols, in Australian states and territories

Appendix 4a. Relevant legislation relating to cats in Australian states and territories

      Table 22 Relevant legislation relating to cats in Australian states and territories. Note that additional legislation which has less direct relevance to cat management (e.g. in relation to use of poisons, firearms, biosecurity, activities allowed in conservation reserves) may not be specifically tabulated here.

Jurisdiction                  Legislation relating to feral cats                                                                                                                                         Legislation relating to pet cats            Feral cats defined as a pest?
Australian Capital Territory  Pest and Animals Act 2005; Animal Welfare Act 1992                                                                                                                         Domestic Animals Act 2000                   No
New South Wales               Local Land Services Act 2013; Biosecurity Act 2015; Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016; Game and Feral Animal Control Act 2002; Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979  Companion Animals Act 1998                  No
Northern Territory            Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976; Animal Protection Act 2018                                                                                             None                                        Yes
Queensland                     Biosecurity Act 2014; Nature Conservation Act 1992; Animal Care and Protection Act 2001                                                                                   Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008  Yes
South Australia               Landscape South Australia Act 2019; Animal Welfare Act 1985                                                                                                                Dog and Cat Management Act 1995             Yes
Tasmania                      Biosecurity Act 2019; Cat Management Act 2009; Nature Conservation Act 2002; Animal Welfare Act 1993                                                                       Cat Management Act 2009                     No
Victoria                      Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994; Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988; Wildlife Act 1975; Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986                                   Domestic Animals Act 1994                   Yes (on some public lands)
Western Australia             Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007; Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016; Conservation and Land Management Act 1984; Animal Welfare Act 2002                    Cat Act 2011                                Yes

Appendix 4b. Other management plans and protocols that focus on, or partly on, feral cats, in Australian states and territories

Australian Capital Territory
ACT Cat Plan 2021-2031: A plan developed under the 2017 ACT Animal Welfare and Management Strategy (ACT Government 2021)

New South Wales
NSW Code of Practice and Standard Operating Procedures for the Effective and Humane Management of Feral Cats (2022) (Sharp et al. 2022)

Includes:
NSWCAT SOP1 Ground shooting of feral cats
NSWCAT SOP2 Trapping of feral cats using cage traps
NSWCAT SOP3 Trapping of feral cats using padded foot-hold traps

Tasmania
Tasmanian Cat Management Plan, 2017-2022 (Department of Primary Industries Parks Water and Environment 2017)

Western Australia
Western Australian Feral Cat Strategy 2023-2028 (Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions 2023)

PestSMART (Centre for Invasive Species Solutions)
National code of practice for the humane control of feral cats (Sharp and Saunders 2012)

Includes:
Feral cat control methods humaneness matrix

National Standard Operating Procedures:

NATSOP-CAT001: National Standard Operating Procedure: Ground shooting of feral cats (2017)

            NATSOP-CAT002: National Standard Operating Procedure: Trapping