Help Shape the Domestic Animal Management Plan 2026-2029

Every four years, Council reviews our Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAMP) and develops a new one.

We use the Plan to:

  • set rules for managing dogs and cats
  • support the community to be responsible pet owners

The Plan also directs how we will:

  • invest time and resources
  • support the management of domestic animals
  • support the safety and well-being of the wider community.

Goals of the Plan

Goals of the Plan

You can see more details about how we plan to achieve each of these goals in the draft Plan.

How can you help?

We’re building on what we’ve achieved and looking for ways to improve. Share your feedback in the survey below and help shape a safer, more pet-friendly Brimbank.

Our actions based on your feedback

  • What the community said
    • We received a lot of feedback about wandering cats creating a nuisance and harming wildlife. Over 82% of survey respondents believe cats should be contained to their property.
    • 46% of responding dog owners haven’t completed dog obedience training with their dog.
    • 18% of respondents didn’t know about Council’s cat desexing program

Our actions based on your feedback

In June 2025, we consulted the community about animal management in Brimbank. We used your feedback to create these key changes to the draft plan:

Cat Containment FAQ

FAQ - What is the Cat Containment Initiative?

Council commits to keeping cats safe and happy while also protecting our community and environment. That’s why we’re introducing a Cat Containment Initiative on 1 January 2028. This means always keeping your cat within the boundaries of your property.

By containing your cat, you reduce their risk of:

  • becoming sick, injured or killed by cars and other animals;
  • being impounded or lost forever;
  • interacting or breeding with undesexed and diseased cats.

Cat containment helps reduce cat overpopulation which is overwhelming our animal shelters. It also reduces the impact of wandering cats on Australian wildlife.

There are many ways you can provide stimulating activities for your cats and let them explore the outdoors in a safe way without wandering. These include:

  • make a cat-friendly home
  • create a stimulating environment through playtime and enrichment
  • build a cat run or cat enclosure in your backyard/balcony
  • install cat-proof fencing in your backyard
  • train your cat to use a leash and carrier

You’ll have plenty of time to help prepare your cat and your home or property. Council plans to put in place the new Cat Containment Initiative on 1 January 2028. We recognise this is a big change for some cat owners and want to make sure you have enough time to transition.

Council will support cat owners in the following ways:

  • Animal Management officers will attend festivals and events in 2026 /27 to provide advice to cat owners.
  • We will have an extensive media and advertising campaign to make sure everyone knows about the change.
  • We have delayed introducing Cat Containment Initiative until 1 January 2028. This will allow cat owners to plan, budget and take necessary measures to contain their cat.
  • We will investigate subsidised support opportunities with providers and local stakeholders to assist cat owners.
  • We will continue trapping semi-owned/feral cats and offer subsidised desexing programs.

We have not decided the infringement amount yet, but we will give updates through an extensive media campaign in 2027. Following the implementation of the Cat Containment Initiative, we will continue to educate residents. There will be a warning period before we issue infringements for breaches.

Cat nuisance, over-population through unplanned breeding and negative effects on wildlife happen at all times of the day. Curfews are also difficult to enforce, as it is hard to know exactly what time a cat was wandering. Work pressures can also make it difficult for cat owners to follow specific curfew times.