Golden Plains Shire Council endorsed the Draft Domestic Animal Management Plan 2026-2029 (the Draft Plan) for a period of public exhibition at the 22 July Council Meeting.
Under the Victorian Government’s Domestic Animals Act 1994, every Council in Victoria must prepare a domestic animal management plan every four years. The plan outlines the services, programs, and policies in place to administer the Act and manage dog and cat issues within the community.
The Draft Plan promotes responsible pet ownership and animal welfare, outlines actions that Council will take to address impact of nuisance pets on the community and the environment and also establishes a framework to assess the adequacy of animal management services which are funded by registration fees from cats and dogs.
Golden Plains Shire Mayor Cr Owen Sharkey encouraged community members to read the Draft Plan and share their feedback.
The plan provides insight into Council operations and policies aimed at promoting responsible ownership, ensuring legal compliance, reducing dog attacks, addressing over-population and euthanasia rates, increasing pet registration, and managing nuisance and dangerous animals, Cr Sharkey said.
Community input is crucial to ensure Council is aware of what our community sees as their main priorities and what issues they encounter around animal management.
Feedback on the Draft Plan is invited from Monday 28 July to 5pm, Monday 25 August 2025, and can be completed online at goldenplains.vic.gov.au/consultations. Hard copies of the survey will also be available at Council’s Customer Hubs, 2 Pope Street, Bannockburn, and 19 Heales Street, Smythesdale.
Following the consultation period, feedback on the Draft Plan will be taken into consideration before it is presented for adoption at a Council Meeting later this year.
For further information, contact Council’s Regulatory Services team at [email protected] or call 5220 7111.