Greater Bendigo City Council has voted to introduce 24-hour cat containment, and to change Greater Bendigo from an off-leash default, to an on-leash default municipality in 2024. The Council also voted to introduce 21 off leash areas throughout the municipality.

The Domestic Animals Act 1994 (DAA) allows Victorian Councils, by resolution, to make orders under sections 25 and 26 of the Act.

The new dog on leash requirements will commence on January 1, 2024 meaning dogs can only be off leash in designated off leash public areas within the municipality.

The 24 hour cat containment requirements will commence from July 1, 2024 meaning that all cats must be securely confined to their owners property 24 hours a day.

The City will install signage at all off leash areas and undertake a comprehensive community education campaign prior to the requirements coming into effect in 2024.

As a result of the feedback received several changes were made to the proposed orders. These included:

• a provision for working dogs to be off leash when actively engaged in farming and stock moving activities
• changes to the lead length requirements for practical, training and enforcement reasons
• restrictions placed on several designated off leash areas to ensure the designation does not impact on competing uses
• adjustment to the wording of the prohibited areas for clarity and uniformity
• removal of several proposed designated off leash areas
• inclusion of several new designated off leash areas.

• Allingham Street Dog Park, Cnr Allingham and Chapel Streets, Kangaroo Flat
• Harcourt Dog Park, 33 Gittins Drive, Strathdale
• Heathcote Dog Park, Herriot St, Heathcote
• Truscott Reserve Dog Park, 35 Murdock St, California Gully
• Finn St Reserve, 64 Finn St, White Hills*
• Crusoe Heights, 70 Morrison St, Kangaroo Flat**
• Garden Gully Creek Reserve 2 Bradshaw St, Ironbark, 3550**
• Rodda Field, 174 Reservoir Rd, Strathdale**
• Spring Gully Oval, 133-135 Spring Gully Rd, Spring Gully**
• Junior Oval Strauch Reserve, 14 Gungurru Rd, Huntly**
• Section of Long Gully Reserve 21 Cunneen St, Long Gully
• California Gully Oval 1-3 Louden St, California Gully**
• Section of Quarry Hill Reserve 4-14 Peel St, Quarry Hill
• Queen Street Reserve 194 Queen St, Bendigo
• Reserve 1 Raglan St, Axedale
• Allingham St Reserve 19-29 Allingham St, Golden Square**
• Emily Way (between Emily Way and Norelle Crescent) Golden Square
• Reserve 2D Glenelg Drive, Maiden Gully
• Strathfieldsaye Junior Oval 20 Warne Court, Strathfieldsaye**
• Section of Inverness Drive Reserve Inverness Drive, Junortoun
• AFL Field No. 2 only (Epsom Huntly Recreation Reserve) 353 Midland Highway, Epsom**

* Except when the space has planned bookings for any organised event, sporting activity, training, or organised dog training)

** Not designated off leash when the space has planned bookings for any organised event, sporting event, or training

Dogs are prohibited from the following areas unless permission to allow dogs within these areas has been granted by the City:

• Playing surface of the Queen Elizabeth Oval
• Playing surface of the Tom Flood Sports Centre (including cycling track)
• Playing surface of Epsom Huntly Recreation Reserve AFL No. 1 and Pitch No. 5
• Within the fenced area of the Bendigo Regional Hockey Complex
• Within the fenced area of the Bendigo Regional Tennis Complex
• Within the fenced area of the Bendigo Regional Athletics Complex
• All play spaces or children’s play equipment areas including splash parks
• Playing surface of any synthetic sports grounds
• Crusoe Reservoir and No. 7 Park
• Within the fenced area of any City Aquatic facilities
• Within school areas where the City has a current joint use agreement

The Greater Bendigo City Council adopted the Domestic Animal Management Plan 2021-2025 in November 2021 and the proposed changes are key actions of this plan.

More than 1130 residents (both pet owners and non-pet owners) contributed to the plan by completing a survey or by making a submission. The City also received a further 40 submissions on the draft plan.

The City has a legislative requirement under the Domestic Animals Act 1994 to prepare a Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAMP) and this was the fourth plan the City has prepared and adopted.

The 2021-2025 plan provides a framework to guide future service programs and actions for the next four years. It is focused on a number of key areas including responsible pet ownership programs, a review of the current cat containment requirements and a review on whether Greater Bendigo remain a default off leash municipality in public areas

The City received considerable feedback from the community in the development of the plan and key findings from the community survey revealed that: