New rules for Banyule’s dogs and cats

Published on 01 February 2025

We are making some changes from 1 February 2025 for the safety of pets, wildlife and our community.

Cat owners

There will be a night-time cat curfew in Banyule. Your cats need to be contained on your property between 7pm and 7am.

There will be a 6-month lead up to enforcement notices to help owners and their cats adjust to the new laws.

We will assess the curfew after a 2-year pilot period.

Dog owners

Dogs must be on a lead in all public places. They can be off-lead in a reserve, park or sporting ground, but even in these places, you must have them on a lead at these times:

• during an event such as a festival or sporting match
• within 5 metres of a BBQ or playground
• on a shared footway.

To protect habitat and wildlife, dogs are prohibited in environmentally sensitive areas.

Check for signs when you are out and about.