Murray River Council adopted a new Companion Animal Breeding Policy at its ordinary meeting this week.
The Policy was developed in response to the growing number of applications for animal breeding facilities and with input from animal welfare organisations and the local community.
The main aim of the Policy is to provide consistency and transparency to the assessment of development applications associated with breeding establishments.
“Whilst we are limited in terms of what we can legally consider in determining any development application put before us, this Policy helps us monitor and enforce relevant consent conditions for such facilities,” Mayor Chris Bilkey said.
“In addition, this Policy provides clear advice to applicants of new breeding establishments and clarifies Council’s expectations of any existing approved establishments which apply to modify their development consent.”
Council will also amend its Development Control Plans (DCP) to reference the Policy to adequately link the guidelines with local planning controls.
Cr Bilkey said whilst the Policy will be of use to council, it is not a solution to the ongoing issues surrounding applications for animal breeding facilities.
“The NSW State Government needs to align their legislation with that of the strict laws now imposed in Victoria to stop establishments simply moving across the border.”
“Whilst we recognise there was a recent update to their Code of Practice, this goes nowhere near far enough and there is still a huge gap in NSW legislation.”
Council hoped that the New Code of Practice would align closer to the regulations and rules that are imposed on these types of development in Victoria, but it is simply not the case.
Council believes the NSW Government needs to go harder on the issue.
“The Government needs to go harder on this. Border councils such as ours need to have a more stringent regulatory environment provided by the Government for the approval and operation of animal breeding facilities.”
“We will be writing to the Minister for Agriculture, Adam Marshall and RSPCA NSW with a copy of our Animal Breeding Policy which demonstrates that we are taking steps on this issue, but legislative change is still required,” Cr Bilkey said.
