Merri-Bek Council chose to focus on ‘strays’, homeless cats to make it easier for residents to adopt and provide homes for cats, asking for a report, to enable targeted desexing, recognising what works - a Community Cat Program. https://www.facebook.com/merribekcitycouncil/videos/3335740696699437 (move timeline below)
7.43pm Dr Jacquie Rand speaks in question-time, and two residents
9.01- 9.18pm Debate considering actual evidence, before Unanimous Vote
It appears that Merri-Bek Council listens to its residents, and renters, and researches actual evidence. Unlike Knox Council writing its Cat Curfew Report and Order, and voting on personal opinion to cost every resident six times more to farm kittens, to kill more cats, make pets homeless, and worsen attitudes towards felines and females.
Merri-Bek is known as a ‘Greens Council’ acting on evidence to save the environment and wildlife. Whereas Knox Council has made a Cat Curfew Order that will kill more Knox wildlife, and harm wellbeing and living for many cat-owners, and cats, in Knox.
(Note also that Merri-Bek Councillors placed residents’ questions before decision, and do not state that they are ‘proud Community Leaders’ and that residents ‘are lucky to have (them) making decisions for the community’ like Knox Councillors say, and do not use the outdated regal address of ‘through you Madame Mayor’.)
Why does Knox make decisions to add to Council’s $84million debt borrowing? To kill more wildlife? To worsen health and wellbeing and be divisive towards a minority? To remove equality between dogs and cats, fanning hate-speech towards felines?
Please stand against Knox’s conscienceless 24-hr Cat Curfew Order. Thank you!
from previous Update:
The Age article: https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/merri-bek-wants-cats-indoors-but-only-if-owners-are-feline-like-it-20221205-p5c3us.html
Merri-Bek original Agenda 7 Dec 22 from page 439: (vote was for an alternate report)
https://www.merri-bek.vic.gov.au/my-council/council-and-committee-meetings/council-meetings/nextcouncilmeetingagenda/
(photo of Pixie, saved by Michelle Lehane from Knox kill-streets.)