Dogs

Council Meeting Summary

Dog Management Policy

The Kingborough Council endorsed a new Dog Management Policy at the meeting last night. Councillors reviewed the consultation submissions during two workshops, and worked with staff to adapt the Policy to reflect the constructive suggestions and feedback. The motion was amended  during the meeting to include an additional off-lead area, east of the boat ramp at Taroona beach.

The motion also included the recommendation to create a Dog Management Handbook, which will be prepared in consultation with the Kingborough Dog Walking Association. The further investigation of four additional off-lead areas in Kingborough was also supported, which includes Sedgebrook Reserve, Mirramar Park (lower section), Leslie Vale Oval and the area behind the Kettering Fire Station.

In response to the consultation, the following changes were also endorsed within the new Policy:

  • Fencing the off-lead area at Kingston View Drive; this work will be carried out soon by Council.
  • The reinstatement of the off-lead area in Taroona Apex Park to its original size.
  • Inclusion of the Suncoast Drive Track as an off-lead area to compensate for Alum Cliffs Track being changed to on-lead.
  • Reinstatement of the Maranoa Heights Reserve as an off-lead dog exercise area.

Definitions and clarifications of some of the elements in the Dog Control Act 2000 have also been included within the new Policy.

The Policy was endorsed unanimously by the Councillors present, and was positively received by the number of residents attending the meeting. The Mayor of Kingborough, Cr Steve Wass said he was delighted that a successful outcome was achieved through the consultation process, and thanked the community for taking the time to participate in the process.

The new Dog Management Policy can be viewed and downloaded below.

TasWater

Council has unanimously supported a recommendation by the General Manager to not support a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between TasWater and the State Government.

The TasWater Board endorsed the signing of the MOU and authorised the release of the Information Memorandum to Owner Councils. The MOU does appear to benefit consumers but may well leave TasWater financially vulnerable in the future. TasWater will be borrowing to accelerate its capital works program and this may expose the organisation to much larger repayments than is covered by the contributions by the State Government – resulting in a net financial loss over time that Councils and TasWater will have to wear. Council considered the long-term best interests of TasWater and the Owner Councils in their decision.

The Mayor of Kingborough, Cr Steve Wass said “Council remains unconvinced that the future financial sustainability of TasWater has been addressed. The MOU will result in increased debt, lower revenue, and a precarious situation to meet interest cover, especially if loan interest rates rise. We were particularly appreciative of the detailed advice from the General Manager, which enabled us to fully understand the MOU and potential consequences.”

The full report can be viewed within the Council Meeting Agenda, Monday, 10 September 2018 (PDF).

Recycling Difficult Items Trial

The community feedback received after Council’s Zero Waste Expo in March highlighted a demand for continued opportunities for recycling difficult items such as household batteries, X-rays, mobile phones and handheld electrical items. Council initiated a trial, where a range of items were collected at various points and recycled through programs such as Takeback Schemes run by Kingborough Waste Services and TerraCycle Free Recycling Program. It received a great deal of positive interest on Council’s Facebook page and within weeks there were requests to extend the trial to other venues that had greater public access. The trial provided an opportunity for a number of items to be removed from the landfill waste stream and also provided an opportunity to raise awareness about the waste cycle to members of the public. Since the trial began 376.5kg of recyclable waste has been collected.

There has been genuine interest from members of the community to reduce waste to landfill and Council has been praised for its leadership in its commitment to waste reduction. The trial has now been endorsed by Council as an on-going project as part of the implementation of the Waste Management Strategy. Further information will be published on Council’s website explaining what can be recycled and where in Kingborough the deposit points will be located. www.kingborough.tas.gov.au/waste.

Declaring Dangerous Dogs

A number of questions were received at the Council Meeting regarding a recent case where a dog was declared dangerous.

Council made it clear that it followed due legislative process at all times, and there was very little discretion with regard to these procedures. Council staff originally responded to a report of a dog at large on the grounds of a local primary school. At the time Council officers believed the dog was dangerous and that it constituted a risk to public safety. The dog’s history was also taken into account. The details of the incident were reported during the council meeting.  The owners had a choice to appropriately contain the dog or to appeal the decision in court within certain time frames, as outlined in the Dog Control Act 2000. Whilst council had no desire to see the dog destroyed, under the legislation there was no choice other than to issue a notice to this effect.

Council must always act in the best interests of public safety and will continue to make decisions on this basis, while also ensuring that legislated procedures are adhered to.

The full  minutes and audio recording will be published on Council’s website once completed at www.kingborough.tas.gov.au/council-meetings.