Stirling Rangers Poised for Enhanced Animal Cruelty Enforcement Powers
The City of Stirling is actively exploring a significant proposal to empower its rangers with the authority to act as animal cruelty inspectors. This initiative comes in response to a surge in reports of alleged animal mistreatment, particularly around local lakes, where current regulations leave rangers unable to intervene effectively.
Unanimous Council Support for Investigation
Last week, the Stirling council unanimously approved a motion to investigate whether rangers and community patrol officers could be authorised as general inspectors under State animal welfare laws. The proposal is spearheaded by Councillor Tony Krsticevic, a former State member for Carine with over a decade of experience representing the WA Liberal Party.
Cr Krsticevic emphasised that the city frequently receives complaints regarding cruelty to dogs, cats, and native fauna. He argued that stronger enforcement capabilities are essential to manage the high volume of reports, citing the RSPCA's limited capacity for timely monitoring and investigation.
"Given the limited capacity for the RSPCA to monitor compliance and investigate reports of cruelty, including the ability to respond to such issues in a timely manner, I consider that it is worthwhile investigating the opportunity for relevant city officers to be authorised under this Act," Cr Krsticevic stated in his motion. "It is important to give city officers appropriate additional powers so they can carry out their duties in a more holistic manner."
Alarming Statistics and Local Incidents
According to RSPCA WA, since July 2025, the organisation has received 397 cruelty reports from within the City of Stirling, with 23 cases still under investigation. Specific incidents involving alleged cruelty towards black swans around Roselea and Princeton lakes in Stirling have highlighted the current limitations, as rangers lack the legal authority to act under existing laws.
In the past year up to November 2025, rangers responded to approximately 248 inquiries and attended Roselea and Princeton lakes 176 times, underscoring the frequent need for intervention in these areas.
Mayor's Perspective and Broader Context
Mayor Mark Irwin noted that while the council is considering local law amendments to ban fishing and protect fauna around certain lakes, rangers would still be powerless in animal cruelty cases without additional authorisation.
"One of the issues that you would have seen recently, for example, with the fishing around lakes. Whilst the local law aims to strengthen the head of power, the rangers still don’t have any power to act when the real issue is probably the animal cruelty part," Mr Irwin explained. "The RSPCA don’t have the resources on the ground to deal with it. This is about investigating the rangers having the ability to act as those designated with those designated powers, as if they were RSPCA rangers."
RSPCA WA's Supportive Stance
A spokesperson for RSPCA WA expressed openness to collaborating with local governments to enhance animal welfare outcomes. They confirmed that several WA local governments already employ rangers appointed as general inspectors under the Animal Welfare Act 2002, and RSPCA WA maintains productive relationships with these entities.
"RSPCA WA is supportive of any measures that improve animal welfare outcomes in WA," the spokesperson said. "We would welcome the opportunity to work with the City of Stirling in the development of its planned report."
Next Steps and Report Details
A comprehensive report outlining the advantages and disadvantages of authorising rangers and community patrol officers as general inspectors is scheduled for presentation at the city’s community and resources committee meeting on April 28. This report will detail required processes, training, and associated costs, providing a roadmap for potential implementation.
This move reflects a growing recognition of the need for localised enforcement solutions to address animal welfare concerns, particularly in areas with high incident rates like Stirling's lakes.
