"B. M. A. P. C. A. - Current Project/s"

Initial Aims of BMCC and the Animal Care Centre

In 2023, after BMCC was gifted the former RSPCA Shelter in Mort St Katoomba,
the council stated they would keep up Silvia Ford’s legacy
and have the Mort St facility as a full animal shelter for surrender and impound animals.

At that time, BMCC said that the Blue Mountains Animal Care Centre would be touted to be a showcase for all councils in the state.

We, at B.M.A.P.C.A., have found that not to be the case. This Animal shelter is now no more than Statutory Pound Facilities (S. P. F.).

Photo from BMACC online

Sequence of Events for Animal Care Centre to be S. P. F.

In 2023, BMCC publicly committed to ensuring that Silvia Ford’s legacy,
of a full animal sheter for impound and surrendered animals, was honoured.

In 2024, BMCC council ratified take over of Mort St Animal Shelter
and the 'now called' Blue Mountains Animal Care Centre opened it's doors.

In 2025...
...May/June 25: Administrative branch of BMCC presents a draft BMCC Companion Animal Management Plan 25 to 29’‘
to councillors and the 'reference group' for discussion.

Photo from BMCC Document

...July 25: Administrative branch of BMCC allows one month for public appraisal.
B.M.A.P.C.A.'s Bob Kemnitz writes letter to councillors to get more public appraisal time.
His suggestion is to wait until the end of the 2025 calendar year i.e. December 2025
Councillors refer Bob to Administrative branch of BMCC but he gets no response.

...August 25: BMCC council meeting on the 26th August
ratifies the ‘impound animal’ only Companion Animal Management Plan 2025 to 2029.
BMCC meeting notes and minutes are all available for download.

The Essential change to Silvia’s legacy, that was outlined on page 19 of the CAMP document,
was that the now called ACC - Animal Care Centre - was to be run as a pound facility only.
The sentence "Our aim is to keep animals out of the pound environment." says it all.

Photo of surrendered animal paragraph on page 19 of CAMP 25 to 29

...September 25: Silvia Ford passes.
Bob Kemnitz designs two written petitions for signatures...
one is to include full shelter facilities at Mort St
and the other to call this facility, the Silvia Ford Animal Shelter.


...October 25: Celebration of Silvia’s life at Carrington Hotel.


...November 25: BMAPCA's online change.org petition - https://c.org/H7TK9ptv7h - was created, which includes the two written petitions
plus a request that NSW RSPCA returns proceeds from two Blue Mountains shops that NSW RSPCA sold.

BMAPCA Vice President, Bob Kemnitz, wrote an email to Councillors van Opdorp & Redshaw
asking if CAMP document is ratified by BMCC.
Counsellor van Opdorp responded in the affirmative.
The reason stated for not allowing surrender animals at BMACC was that the plan was to encourage fostering
and continued care at home until re-placement is organised.

BMAPCA believes this is an unreasonable and unachievable expectation.
If a family member or individual is in financial hardship or gets sick or dies, that can happen in a very short time frame.
People in this position need a rapid resolution.

This rapid resolution will be, for most circumstantially trapped people in this area, to dump the animal/s in the national park.

Problems that B.M.A.P.C.A. has with BMCC CAMP 25 to 29 and its process of implementation

A ‘low-kill’ or preferably ‘no-kill’ animal shelter, that takes all surrenders and impounded animals,
has been the most important and hard fought/won issue in the Blue Mountains for many years.

This desire of the Blue Mountains People has been ignored by BMCC with respect to the Mort St Animal 'Shelter'


Issue 1. Lack of Transparency: There appeared to be some level of secrecy in the ratification/adoption of CAMP 25 to 29.
If council really wanted discussion on this issue they should have had six to nine month notice for a public meeting.

a. Proportion of people who read Gazette from cover to cover and who look at BMCC have-your-say webpage is very small.
b. A month is far too little time to have such an important issue presented for consideration.
c. Council needed to ensure all interested parties (including Animal Care Centre Staff) know
that council has veered significantly away from its 2023 Commitment to maintain Silvia’s legacy.


Issue 2. Lack of Respect for Community Leaders: Bob’s Comment on more time required for residents to see/consider CAMP 25 to 29
was dismissed for very shallow reasons – e.g. matches standard exhibition period.
Bob got a response from one councillor - Suzie van Ordorp - but not from the Administrative branch of BMCC.


Issue 3. IMPOUND situation is not clear: BMCC powers and Residents rights are vague and unspecified.

a. Under pound facility is specified that unchipped animals have 7 days and chipped animals have 14 days.
What happens to them after that? Who are these animals who live at pound until they die.
b. In 3.1, the number of pets issue is very vague and what form of action would be taken to enforce this issue.
What rights do people have to keep the pets they love and care for?
What sort of penalties to the public are council proposing?
Can the public appeal council’s decision?


Issue 4. BMCC appears to want use ACC to make money: The gifted Shelter is being offered to be used by other councils
to satisfy their statuatory pound obligations and hence to derive profit for BMCC.

a. This implies instead of taking surrendered animals ACC is being used to generate income from other councils’ statutory obligations
b. BMCC is using volunteers to fulfil it's statuatory pound obligations which is unethical, immoral or possibly illegal?
c. There is a huge conflict of interest having BMCC run the Mort St Animal Shelter;
the issue of animal welfare is taking a back seat to want/need generate income.


Issue 5. Only Native Wildlife in our National Park: With no shelter spaces available for them,
surrendered animals will be dumped in the National Park.
This is contrary to commitment BMCC made to Silvia’s legacy in 2023

a. We are a city in a National Park; if our animal facility does not take surrenders the majority of these animals will be dumped in the national park
b. Every avenue including fostering will be tried anyway by very small section of Pet owners needing to surrender animals but not the majority.


Issue 6. BMCC is creating significant problem for our native wildlife: No responsibility is being taken by BMCC
for creating the significant problem for our native wildlife of more cats and dogs being dumped in our nartional park.

a. Feral animals in the National Park are often ex domestic pets
b. BMCC is creating a significant problem in our national park by it's policy of not allowing ACC to take in surrender animals.
c. BMCC is refusing to do anything about the ‘feral’ animal problems that is caused by their short-sightedness, in not taking surrenders.


Issue 7. Ill-defined 'suggestions: Sections about cats and dogs is unclear and ill-defined, e.g. cats on leads;
a. How will council enforce it?
b. How will they measure effectiveness?


Issue 8. Perfunctionary Documentation: This BMCC CAMP document appears to be a
standard animal management document produced by Government
that does not consider any of the issues that a city within a National Park has to face.