MORE suburbs will face cat curfews that will see cats contained to their owners’ properties at all times to protect local wildlife.
New suburbs of Crace, Coombs, Wright, Lawson and North Watson now fall under the cat curfew regulations joining areas such as Bonner, Forde, Mulligan’s Flat, Wright, North Weston and Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve.
The curfew is part of Section 81 of the Domestic Animals Act 2000.
“Today’s announcement of new areas for cat containment signals relief for the beleaguered wildlife of our urban bushland”, said Conservation Council ACT Region executive director John Hibberd.
A Conservation Council campaiger Anna See said: “A recent ACT Government survey found that the existing cat containment program in Forde and Bonner is successful in restricting cats’ ability to roam, and that residents outside these areas are five times more likely to experience cat-related problems.”
“The key problems experienced in the ACT from free-roaming cats include fighting, killing of native wildlife, attacks on household pets, and faeces.
“Queensland research has shown that each free-roaming cat kills 32 native animals a year.”
New cat curfew areas adjoin conservation areas are critical habitats for several threatened species including the nationally vulnerable pink-tailed worm lizard and striped legless lizard, the perunga grasshopper which is considered vulnerable within the ACT and the Canberra raspy cricket, which is confined to the Canberra region.
There are several threatened and declining woodland birds, including the white-winged triller, varied sitella and diamond firetail also feed and nest in neighbouring vegetation that need further protection.
To view the declared cat curfew areas, visit www.environment.act.gov.au
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