Walgett is one of 11 LGAS participating in an RSPCA NSW and NSW Government project to encourage cat owners to keep their pets safe at home, however education may not be enough. 

While state legislation stipulates that pet cats are to be kept away from wildlife protection areas, little has been done to protect wildlife in areas the cat has access to, including back yards and local roaming areas. 

Some councils are arguing that more practical action would produce real results.

Walgett Shire’s Regulatory Officer Paul Flint said that tightening legislation around cat ownership would be more productive in keeping wildlife safe than education. 

“I take a pretty hard stance on this myself. I have a cat that I love dearly but it’s not that hard to be responsible for her. Cats are left to be too free range,” Mr Flint said. 

Mr Flint said that any cat found in the night without a microchip should be classed as feral to better reflect their potential for harm. 

Instead, the latest initiative echoes a similar program introduced last year, educating cat owners on their pet’s potential harm, and encouraging them to keep them at home.

Minister for Local Government Wendy Tuckerman said the Keeping Cats Safe at Home project will help to minimise the current impact of domestic cats, recorded to kill about 390 million animals each year in Australia. 

“Each Council will get a tailored program to address specific needs and challenges they encounter in their local government areas,” Ms Tuckerman said. 

“Crucially, the project will also improve access to free de-sexing and microchipping for cat owners in target areas to address cat overpopulation, shown to be highly effective in curbing the stray population,” she said. 

The project will engage with cat owners, school children, veterinarians and the public to help shift community behaviours and attitudes. 

A 2020 parliamentary inquiry into the impact of both domestic and feral cats recommended enforcing a night-time curfew for domestic cats, however the suggestion was rejected in a government response. 

Instead, the federal government said that containment of domestic cats is the responsibility of the local government. 

Walgett Shire Council is seemingly free of regulations around containing domestic cats, only requiring the registration and microchipping of the pets. 

The education program for the state will receive a $2.5 million funding injection.