Working Party Update

Since July, the Working Party has met monthly. Through July and August, the group consulted with the community, asking for ideas to deal with stray and feral cats

The Working Party has received presentations from the:

• SPCA
• Forest and Bird
• Feline Rights
• Stray Cats New Zealand Trust

The Working Party has also been briefed regarding:

• The regulatory environment, including legislation concerning animal welfare and nuisance
• The Southland Region Pest Management Plan
• The National Cat Management Strategy
• Various local government regulatory and non-regulatory initiatives, including providing public information in New Zealand and overseas.

In general, residents of Gore do not formally complain to the Council about cats. This is because the Council does not have a policy regarding cats.

In common with the rest of New Zealand, very little is known about the situation regarding stray and feral cats in Gore. Prior to the closure of the Gore SPCA facility, it was reported the facility dealt with around 200 animals annually.

The formation of the Cat Management Working Party and the associated media coverage saw comments from the Gore community, which indicated a problem with stray and feral cats in the District similar to experiences elsewhere in the country.

The working party has identified several risks to the environment and community posed by stray cats. These include killing indigenous birds, fouling in neighbouring gardens and lawns, and spreading disease. There are also welfare issues for the cats themselves.

Over the next three months, the Cat Management Working Party will consider the information gathered to identify priority issues and the means the Council may deploy to manage them appropriately.

The Working Party expects to make recommendations to Council early in the New Year. Any recommendations the Council may agree to will be the subject of public consultation as part of the 2023-24 Annual Plan and budget.

If Council agrees to adopt any new or changed bylaws, these will also be the subject of specific public consultation.