Melton council has put Eynesbury landowners on notice for unlawfully harbouring cats.
Cats are banned in the estate to protect native wildlife under a Section 173 agreement between the council and its more than 2000 landowners.
A warning letter from Melton council planning services manager Bob Baggio was sent to residents recently threatening “appropriate action” against landowners who were keeping cats.
The letter said council investigations were under way to identify “offending landowners” and encouraged residents to report their feline-friendly neighbours.
Landowners expressed mixed opinions last week on an Eynesbury residents’ Facebook page in response to the letter.
A handful of cat-loving residents said they felt discriminated against, while the majority believed that landowners should abide by the rules.
“The thing is, you can have the best intentions of having an inside cat but if a door is left open too long, out it goes,” a resident posted.
“Cats are hunters, their need to be outside is greater than the comfort of staying inside.
“If you don’t like it … don’t live in Eynesbury.”
Eynesbury Environment Group secretary Jason Ryan, who is also a committee member of the township’s owners corporation, told
Star Weekly that the cat problem was “getting out of control”.
“The cat ban has been in place since Eynesbury was established,” Mr Ryan said. “There are owners in here that are flaunting the rules.
“It clearly states in the documents that you receive when you buy into Eynesbury that cats are banned … ignorance is no excuse.
“A lot of people have done the right thing and rehomed their cats prior to moving into the township.”
He said the council has given cat owners an amnesty until July 1 to rehome their pets.
“The council is obliged to live up to its obligations in enforcing that cat ban,” Mr Ryan said.
He said environmental management was the most important reason for the ban.
“We live in the most beautiful part of the area where we are surrounded by native grassland, the gorge and the forest,” he said.
“Within that is the swift parrot – which is listed as critically endangered. There are also endangered ducks. We need to protect these species and cats need to go.”
