Circulars

What’s new or changing

• From 1 July 2019 cat and dog lifetime registration fees will increase in line with the Consumer Price Index as required by the Companion Animals Regulation 2018and outlined in Circular to Councils 13-54.

What this will mean for your council

• The new fees are:
  • Desexed animal: $58 (from $57)
  • Breeder (Recognised) concession: $58 (from $57)
  • Pensioner concession (desexed animal only): $25 (from $24)
  • Pound/Shelter animal 50% discount (desexed): $29 (from $28.50)

• If the registration fee has not been paid 28 days after the date on which the animal is required to be registered, a late fee of $16 ($15)

• If the companion animal has not been desexed by the relevant desexing age and is not kept by a recognised breeder for breeding purposes, an additional fee of $152(from $150) is payable in addition to the applicable registration fee listed above.

Key points

• A notice under the Companion Animals Regulation 2018 specifying the new fees has been issued – see the Notification-Gazette for the week beginning 3 June 2019.
• The Companion Animals Register has been modified to allow councils to apply the new lifetime registration fees from 1 July 2019.
• The NSW Pet Registry has also been updated to include the new fees for online registration fee payments made by pet owners from 1 July 2019.
• Both the old and new fee structures will be maintained on the Companion Animals Register to allow councils to correct registration details for existing records and catch up on data entry backlogs (i.e. where fees have been receipted before 1 July 2019 but not entered on the Register).
• The current R2 – Lifetime Registration form can still be used as the references to the fee amounts were previously removed.
• Further information about annual permits will be provided separately.

Where to go for further information

• Information relating to the processing of registration fees is available in the Guideline on the Exercise of Functions under the Companion Animals Act 1998, which can be downloaded from the Office of Local Government’s website at www.olg.nsw.gov.au.

Tim Hurst

Chief Executive