Alpine Shire Council is inviting community feedback on its draft Domestic Animal Management Plan (the Plan), which proposes the introduction of a 24‑hour cat curfew across the Shire.
If adopted, a cat confinement order would make it an offence for a cat to roam beyond the boundaries of its owner’s property, while still allowing cats to spend time outdoors within those boundaries.
Alpine Shire Mayor, Cr Sarah Nicholas, said the proposed change followed strong community feedback over several years.
“Council has been considering the potential benefits of a cat curfew, as we have consistently heard from community members and groups who want to see better protection for wildlife and safer outcomes for cats," she said.
“A cat confinement order is already in place across more than half of Victorian councils, and can be a practical way to protect native wildlife, reduce nuisance behaviour, help keep cats safe from injury or becoming lost, and reduce unwanted litters of kittens.”
The draft DAMP includes the establishment of a Cat Confinement Order under Section 25 of the Domestic Animals Act 1994, introducing 24‑hour confinement, with a proposed 12‑month education and transition period before compliance action is enforced.
Cr Nicholas acknowledged the change may require some cat owners to adjust how their pets are cared for.
“We understand that some owners may need time to transition their cats to indoor living or to create safe outdoor enclosures, which is why Council is proposing a strong education‑first approach during the first 12 months,” she said.
“During this period, our focus would be on providing advice, resources and practical support to help cat owners make the change smoothly.”
Proposed education and transition actions include providing verbal and written information, guidance from Council officers, information on safe outdoor spaces, promotion of State Government campaigns, encouragement of cat de‑sexing, and increased engagement through social media, signage and local media.
A more compliance‑focused approach would only be applied after the transition period.
The Plan outlines how Council manages dogs and cats through education, law enforcement, community safety initiatives, population control, registration and identification, nuisance prevention, and the management of dangerous dogs.
The Plan is a requirement of the Domestic Animals Act 1994 and must be reviewed every four years. It applies only to dogs and cats and does not affect other pets, livestock or native animals.
In addition to the proposed cat confinement order, updates to the draft Plan include the inclusion of pet statistics from the Agriculture Victoria Pet Census and the removal of duplicated operational information that is covered in other Council policies.
Beyond the cat curfew, no significant changes to Council’s current animal management practices are proposed.
Cr Nicholas encouraged residents to have their say during the four-week exhibition period.
“This exhibition period is an important opportunity for our community to share their views, particularly on the proposed cat curfew,” she said.
“All feedback will be carefully considered before the final Domestic Animal Management Plan is presented to Council for adoption.”
Community members can read the draft Plan and provide feedback:
- Online by visiting https://engage.alpineshire.vic.gov.au/damp
- By reading a copy and filling out a printed feedback form available from our Customer Service Centre in Bright, or libraries in Bright, Mount Beauty and Myrtleford
Submissions will close on Friday, 30 April 2026.