July 19, 2023
Ratepayers could see a new levy on their rates notices next year as the South Burnett Regional Council explores ways to address its $200,000 annual loss on animal management.
Options the Council is considering include raising the cost of dog registrations or re-introducing a registration fee for cats.
A third option would be to scrap dog registrations entirely and introduce a flat Animal Management Levy.
If this levy was introduced, it would see all ratepayers contribute towards the region’s animal management costs whether they owned pets or not.
Such a levy could cost between $20 and $25 per year if Council was to recover the full cost of animal management services.
These animal management issues were discussed at the Council’s July general meeting on Wednesday.
The discussion followed several about the region’s escalating animal management costs during Standing Committee meetings held over the past few months.
While some Councillors warned that introducing a levy would be deeply unpopular – especially with rural ratepayers – Councillors unanimously resolved to take all options on future animal management charges out to public consultation.
A report on the results of this effort will be tabled at October’s General Meeting.
We don’t have pets for multiple reasons. Why the hell should we and others that don’t have pets for whatever reason have to pay for those irresponsible pet owners? Beggers belief!!
If council actually rounded up animals not in their owners’ property and immediately euthanised the unregistered animals then all pet owners would register their pets.
Enforcing fines for not keeping pets in yards would help as well.
The number of dogs and cats on the streets at any given time in Wondai is incredible.
Council’s idea is we will just add a charge to the rate payers, they are a never ending source of money. We can’t sort the problem, we will just charge the rate payer.
If council adopted a zero tolerance policy to dogs roaming the streets then I would be happy to pay. I would be very surprised if that were to happen though, the council would take the levy and nothing would change as far as dogs roaming the streets..
If I have to pay an animal levy, even though I don’t have any, then I damn well better see some serious action the next time I report stray animals or complain about the non-stop barking of certain neighbour’s dogs, instead of the fingers in the ears and hope it goes away response I’ve always received from council in the past.
What is “animal management” exactly? Does that include impounded livestock, 1080 dingo baiting, trapping feral animals, or what? I would like to see a detailed breakdown of what costs what.
If I have to pay for other people to have pets, then I get to say what happens to them when they wander on to my territory.
I would be happy to see council concentrate on animal control issues rather than doing paper work and chasing dog registration checks. This is my personal opinion and not the opinion of the council.
Oh great… cost of living crisis and they are considering adding another cost to pensioners who DO NOT have dogs or cats? Why should I pay for irresponsible people? USER PAYS… Raise registration and be tougher on unregistered animals. I’ve just copped a new cost on a recycle bin I fill three times a year!
There is no animal management as it is, they charge fees for dog registration that not all pet owners pay. Nuisance, and/or aggressive dogs are left to wander the streets, bark all day and night, destroy private property, and council’s current response in to ignore the matter.
Maybe they should take action in fixing the problem already there, instead of taking more money and doing less.
Thought I was reading an April Fools joke! Seriously, elected SBRC representatives for the people, you need to think very hard on this …