Dog and Cat Management

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (14:19): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement on the topic of the government's response to the dog and cat citizens' jury report.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Citizens' juries provide a unique opportunity to involve the local community in the democratic processes and in deliberations about difficult and controversial issues. Recognising that two-thirds of South Australians are pet owners and that cat and dog management is very important to the community, a citizens' jury was chosen as an appropriate mechanism to address the problem of the 10,000 dogs and cats that are euthanased every year. Jurors were specifically asked to deliver a verdict on mandatory desexing.

As part of the government's broader dog and cat management reform program, the citizens' jury delivered its report on 12 August, and today I am releasing the government's response to the jury's report and its recommendations. The seven recommendations are structured under three major objectives: preventing animal abandonment, reducing supply and reuniting pets with their owners.

The government supports the recommendations on education about responsible pet ownership, mandatory desexing, mandatory breeder registration and the implementation of a centrally managed database for microchip data. Some recommendations require further investigations, including the recommendation for legislative change to assist with rental arrangements for tenants with pets and a recommendation to legislate the restriction of sale of dogs and cats in pet shops. These recommendations may have unintended consequences and require further engagement with key stakeholders, government agencies and the broader community.

Only one recommendation cannot be supported by government, which is the recommendation for the government to carry out a trap, neuter and return trial. TNR models contradict the responsible pet ownership model that the government promotes as they do not result in individuals taking responsibility for animals and, further, releasing a cat from captivity is an offence under the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 and may also constitute an offence of animal ill-treatment under the Animal Welfare Act 1985. The state government's preferred approach is to undertake actions that will directly address the feral cat problem, and this aligns with the Australian government's focus outlined in the Threatened Species Strategy and action plan released in July of this year.

The Dog and Cat Management Board and the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources will continue to work with key stakeholders throughout the development of this government reform. The government thanks the 35 South Australians who committed their time and effort to this important process and have contributed to important reform of dog and cat management in this state. The jury's final report and the government responses can be found at the yourSAy.sa.gov.au website. I table two documents: The South Australian Government's Response to the Citizens' Jury on Reducing Unwanted Dogs and Cats; and the Citizens' Jury 2015 Final Report to the Government of South Australia: Reducing Unwanted Dogs and Cats.