Council staff enters into pound stoush
Baw Baw Shire staff have become involved in the debate about the relocation of the pound to Longwarry North.
Council business manager Allison Down has sent an email to all election candidates providing information about the purchase of the boarding kennels Utopia and the proposal to establish a pound at the premises at Longwarry North.
The email said the information detail was released to the public at the council meeting on August 10, but information in the email had not been made public.
Candidates were told that a Project Officer and Biosecurity Officer for the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR), attended at Utopia on July 15 and conducted a site audit as part of the required process to enable the council to register a council operated domestic animal business (other than a council pound or animal shelter).
The boarding facility passed the audit and the recommendation was made to the Minister that the establishment be registered. As a result, the Minister authorised the registration of Utopia as a domestic animal business.
The email said it was also made clear to the department that council intended to relocate its municipal animal pound at the same location, and it was confirmed that, as long as the relevant Codes of Practice were complied with, this would be a suitable situation.
“Pursuant to Section 6.3 of the Code of Practice for the Operation of Boarding Establishments: where boarding kennels are used by a municipality as a pound or shelter, the facility to house the pound or shelter must be physically separated by sufficient distance to minimise the possibility of spreading disease to the boarded animals. It is preferable that separate staff are available for each business or, if this is not possible a change of outer garments and the facilities to disinfect footwear must be available and used.”
It is understood the release of the email follows a stoush between a shopkeeper and a councillor. The councillor was advised the pound would not be able to operate on the same land as the Utopia boarding kennels because of compliance concerns. The email was sent out as a direct result of the councillor’s request to clarify the issue.
Chief executive Helen Anstis said the email did not contravene the legal requirements of the election process because it was sent to “all the candidates and only the candidates.”
Ms Anstis said the matters referred to were covered when council declared it had conducted “diligence on the purchase.”
Whilst media releases and replies to media emails have to be approved by the CEO during the election period, Ms Anstis said it was not necessary to have Ms Down’s email approved because it was only sent to candidates.
The purchase of the pound/boarding facility has become an election issue with some candidates questioning the cost of the purchase and the establishment of a pound at a commercial facility.