Cat Local Law 2022
9April 1999 is repealed.
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9 April 1999 is repealed. 1.4 Terms used (1) In this local law, unless the context otherwise requires— Act means the Cat Act 2011; applicant means a person who applies for an approval; application means an application for an approval; approval means approval under regulation 9 of the Cat (Uniform Local Provisions) Regulations 2013 and Part 2 of this local law; approved person means the person to whom an approval is granted; authorised person means a person appointed by the local government to perform the functions conferred on an authorised person under this local law; cat has the meaning given to it in the Act; cat management facility has the meaning given to it in the Act; CEO means the Chief Executive Officer of the local government; district means the district of the local government; local planning scheme means a local planning scheme made by the local government under the Planning and Development Act 2005; nuisance means— (a) an activity or condition which is harmful or annoying and which gives rise to legal liability in the tort of public or private nuisance at law; (b) an unreasonable interference with the use and enjoyment of a person of his or her ownership or occupation of land; or (c) interference which causes material damage to land or other property on the land affected by the interference; owner has the meaning given to it in the Act; premises has the meaning given to it in the Act; and veterinarian has the meaning given to it in the Act. (2) A term that is used in this local law and is not defined in subclause (1) has the same meaning given to it in the Act or, if not defined in the Act, the same meaning given to it in the Cat Regulations 2012, the Cat (Uniform Local Provisions) Regulations 2013 or the Local Government Act 1995. 1.5 Application PART 2—NUMBER OF CATS THAT MAY BE KEPT 2.1 Interpretation For the purposes of applying this Part, a cat does not include a cat less than 6 months old.
16 March 2022 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, WA 2203 2.2 Prescribed premises For the purposes of the definition of prescribed premises in regulation 4(1) of the Cat (Uniform Local Provisions) Regulations 2013, this local law limits the number of cats that may be kept at any premises within the district except— (a) a cat management facility operated by a body prescribed as a cat management facility operator under the Cat Regulations 2012; (b) a cat management facility operated by the local government; or (c) a veterinary clinic or veterinary hospital as defined under section 2 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1960, but only in relation to cats kept on those premises for treatment. 2.3 Standard number of cats For the purposes of the definition of standard number of cats in regulation 4(1) of the Cat (Uniform Local Provisions) Regulations 2013, no more than 2 cats may be kept on premises within the residential zone of the local planning scheme or used for residential purposes at which a member of a cat organisation is not ordinarily resident. 2.4 Application for approval (1) An application for approval to keep an additional number of cats at prescribed premises is dealt with in regulation 8 of the Cat (Uniform Local Provisions) Regulations 2013. (2) An application for approval must be accompanied by the application fee determined by the local government in accordance with the Act. 2.5 Determining an application (1) For the purpose of determining whether to grant approval for an application to keep an additional number of cats at prescribed premises, the local government must have regard to— (a) the zoning of the land under the local planning scheme; (b) the physical suitability of the premises for the proposed use; (c) the environmental sensitivity and general nature of the location surrounding the premises for the proposed use; (d) the structural suitability of any enclosure in which any cat is to be kept; (e) the likelihood of a cat causing a nuisance, inconvenience or annoyance to an occupier of adjoining land; (f) the likely effect on the amenity of the surrounding area of the proposed use; (g) the likely effect on the local environment including any pollution or other environmental damage, which may be caused by the proposed use; and (h) any other factors which the local government considers to be relevant in the circumstances of the application. (2) An approval is to be in the form determined by the local government and is to be issued to the approved person. 2.6 Conditions (1) For the purpose of ensuring that the premises to which an application relates are suitable for the additional number of cats, the local government may impose any condition that it considers to be reasonably necessary for that purpose, including— (a) that the premises must be adequately fenced (and premises will be taken not to be adequately fenced if there is more than one escape of a cat from the premises); (b) that there must be adequate space for the exercise of the cats; (c) that, in the case of multiple dwellings where there is no suitable dividing fence, each current occupier of the adjoining multiple dwellings must give their written consent to the approval; and (d) that, without the consent of the local government, the approved person must not substitute or replace any cat that dies or is permanently removed from the premises. (2) An approved person who does not comply with a condition of the approval, commits an offence. Penalty: a fine of not less than $1,000 and not exceeding $5,000, and if the offence is of a continuing nature, to an additional penalty not exceeding $500 for each day or part of a day during which the offence has continued. 2.7 Renewal of an application (1) An application is to be renewed if— (a) the approved person has not breached the conditions of the approval; (b) the approval would have been granted if a fresh application for approval had been made; and (c) the renewal fee, imposed and determined by the local government under sections 6.16 to 6.19 of the Local Government Act 1995, is paid to the local government before the expiry of the approval. (2) On the renewal of an approval, the conditions of the approval that applied immediately before the renewal continue to have effect.