Table A2.

State/territory cat containment legislation.

Jurisdiction	Cat Containment Legislation Provisions for Cat Curfews, Containment, Prohibition Areas or Zones
Australian Capital Territory	Cat containment has been extended across the ACT for cats born on or after 1 July 2022. Cats must be kept on the owner’s premises 24 h a day. This can include inside a house or apartment, an enclosed area in a backyard or courtyard, or a cat crate. Cats born before 1 July 2022 do not have to be contained, unless they live in one of the 17 currently declared cat containment suburbs.
New South Wales	No state-based containment legislation. Cats are prohibited in food preparation/consumption areas and can be prohibited from designated wildlife protection areas.
Victoria	Under the Domestic (Feral & Nuisance) Animals Act 1994 Councils have power to make a local law. Local governments must go through a process of developing and implementing the regulations. Approximately half the 79 Victorian Councils require cats to be confined to their owner’s property 24/7 or during certain hours. Others prohibit or restrict cats in some places.
Queensland	Council’s Animals Local Law 2017 requires a keeper of an animal to provide an enclosure and prevent the animal from wandering. Local governments must go through a process of developing and implementing the regulations. Cats are required to be kept on their owner’s/keeper’s property, and prevented from wandering or escaping.
South Australia	Local governments must go through a process of developing and implementing the regulations. Only a minority of Councils have a by-law that requires all cats to be kept on the owner’s property at all times.
Western Australia	No state-based containment legislation. Some local government areas prohibit cats from certain areas e.g., reserves.
Northern territory	No territory-based legislation relating to pet cats. Some local governments have regulations in place (e.g., Darwin City Council has containment laws)
Tasmania	There is no requirement in Tasmanian legislation to confine pet cats. Cats are not permitted in ‘prohibited areas’, such as national parks and areas under conservation covenants, and Councils may declare other areas to be ‘cat management areas’, enabling Councils to control cats in those areas.