Thursday, 6 February 2025

Companion animals

Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (17:37): (1389) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Public and Active Transport, and the action I seek is for the minister to allow all companion animals on public transport. Currently Victorians can only bring small animals on trams and buses if they are in suitable carriers, but most pet owners in Victoria have dogs, and the largest breeds are the most popular, including labradors, greyhounds and border collies. On trains the rules are different: all dogs can travel but only if they wear a muzzle.

For many Victorians their companion animals are their family, so when we go out we do not want to leave them behind. Sometimes it is due to their care needs or our needs, to go to work or to a dog park or, importantly, to attend vet appointments. The current restrictions on travelling with pets are an enormous deterrent for many Victorians who want to bring animals into their families and benefit from the companionship that they provide. The cost-of-living crisis is also resulting in less people being able to afford to run their cars and opting for more environmentally friendly options, but it means that their animals cannot be part of their everyday lives or, worse, can no longer fit into their lives and are surrendered.

By comparison, in Europe, the UK and parts of New Zealand animals are welcome on most modes of public transport, but not here under this government – a government whose own data from the first ever pet census showed us that an estimated 1.4 million Victorian households have pets. That means that over half of the population are being limited to transporting their pets by car. The 2023 report also tells us that for vet trips limited transport options and hard-to-access vet clinics were notable barriers to their usage. Companion Animal Network Australia conducted a study of dog owners in Sydney that estimated 2.4 million dog-related private car trips could be incurred in Sydney each and every week. Imagine if all of those road users were taken off the road and what this would do to alleviate traffic congestion and emissions. Guidelines can be easily adopted to ensure the safety of both passengers and animals on public transport, such as having separate carriages. Allowing this to happen is a free and easy way to improve public transport accessibility here in Victoria, and I hope the minister will remove the restrictions on animals on public transport and create a new framework based on inclusion for everyone.

The PRESIDENT: Before I call the next person, there are a number of conversations happening everywhere, which is a little bit distracting. If we can rein it in, that would be great.