BATHURST Regional Council has knocked back all the tenders to build a new small animal pound after all came in above the planned budget.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Councillors confirmed the decision during a confidential meeting of council on Wednesday night.
Council set aside $2.5 million in its 2017-18 budget to build a new pound but will now go back to the drawing board.
General manager David Sherley said council would revise the specifications for the state-of-the-art facility before calling for new tenders.
Related
Mayor Graeme Hanger said last year the new pound would solve several issues the city and current facility have encountered.
“The animal pound was built around 20 years ago and due to population growth and high rates of pet ownership in the Bathurst region, the facility no longer meets the needs of our community and council in terms of capacity,” Cr Hanger said.
“In addition, the NSW government is soon to introduce new standards for council pounds known as the Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Cats and Dogs in Council Pounds and Animal Shelters.
“The current facility will not meet the new standards and cannot be retrofitted without substantial expansion to the footprint and at considerable cost.”
