A new site has been identified for a permanent animal pound and rehoming centre on Tweed Shire Council-owned land at South Murwillumbah.
Following investigations, the site, which is near to the former Council tip site off Lundberg Drive, is set to house a purpose-built pound facility from mid-2022.
The site is also being assessed as part of a joint development application with a private landowner which will produce a series of industrial lots.
This will require additional planning and construction approvals.
Previously, a Council-owned site in Eviron had been earmarked for the new pound, but additional studies have determined that this site had too many constraints.
It had also been anticipated that from mid-2020 Council would have commenced operations at a publicly accessible temporary pound and rehoming centre on leased private premises in Dulguigan until a permanent facility was completed.
However, following the identification of a range of issues and concerns raised in the public submissions and an initial Council assessment of the development application for this site, which would necessitate major building and site upgrades, it was decided to withdraw the application.
Until a new pound and rehoming centre is established from mid-2022, the current temporary arrangements will continue with impounded animals cared for at a privately-owned boarding kennel at Tygalgah (near Murwillumbah).
These arrangements have been in place since September 2019.
The Tygalgah facility is not open to the public and owners of impounded animals will need to contact Council on 02 6670 2400 to arrange collection.
Council will continue to work closely with not-for-profit animal rescue charity Friends of the Pound to ensure as many animals are rehomed in the Tweed as possible.
Anyone looking to adopt a pet should continue to view the animals available for adoption on the Friends of the Pound website or their Facebook page. For more information, visit www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/pound.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
