{"id":328430,"date":"2023-01-31T19:44:21","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T09:44:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=328430"},"modified":"2023-02-01T19:27:05","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T09:27:05","slug":"council-splits-over-dog-checks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2023\/01\/31\/council-splits-over-dog-checks\/","title":{"rendered":"Council Splits Over Dog Checks"},"content":{"rendered":"
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South Burnett Regional Council will conduct a systematic check on dog registrations across the region<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

January 31, 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n

South Burnett Regional Council will go ahead with its regular check on dog registrations after a long and heated debate at last week’s general meeting.<\/p>\n

The systematic program of compliance checks will begin on March 1 and run until June 30.<\/p>\n

Inspections will be conducted between 8:00am and 5:00pm, Monday to Friday.<\/p>\n

Potentially all residential and rural residential properties will be visited.<\/p>\n

A decision last June to bring the the registration fee for desexed dogs on rural residential blocks into line with fees paid in town areas was met with outrage on social media.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The fee for rural residential dog owners rose from $10 per desexed dog a year to $33.<\/p>\n

Some residents indicated they would simply refuse to register their animals, risking $287 on-the-spot fines.<\/p>\n

The Council meeting was told about 1000 dog registrations had not been paid.<\/p>\n

Cr Scott Henschen said a total of 2256 registration fees had changed out of 5800 but only 441 had faced a “major effect”.<\/p>\n

The meeting heard that animal management was a $450,000-plus cost to Council which dog registrations did not cover.<\/p>\n

Councillors debated whether compliance checks on rural residential blocks should be delayed – or excluded completely – given the fact they had already agreed to revisit dog fees during their Budget discussions in March.<\/p>\n

However, Mayor Brett Otto pointed out no decision would be taken until the Special Budget meeting in June, when this program would be almost over.<\/p>\n

Cr Jane Erkens argued there was no point in sending out compliance officers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“I’m sure every councillor here has had feedback from their community on how much we’re charging, and it’s a big amount,” she said.<\/p>\n

“Why stir up a hornets nest?”<\/p>\n

Deputy Mayor Gavin Jones said it would not be fair for rural residential residents who had done the right thing and paid their fees.<\/p>\n

Councillors voted 5-2 to proceed with the systematic compliance checks, as recommended by Council staff.<\/p>\n

Crs Erkens and Duff were opposed.<\/p>\n

Footnote: Mayor Otto issued Cr Erkens with an official warning during the debate for “continually engaging” in private discussions with her fellow councillors and interrupting the meeting.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“If it happens again, I’ll be removing you from the Chamber,” Mayor Otto warned.<\/p>\n

The Mayor also pleaded with the community “not to shoot the messenger” by abusing Council staff at customer service centres.<\/p>\n

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Council Debate<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n