People may be surprised to learn that Council rangers do much more than issue parking tickets. As part of the Development and Compliance team, the rangers play a vital role in maintaining public safety, investigating complaints and enforcing regulations throughout the entire shire.
Their duties include investigating complaints, enforcing local laws, and working under key legislation such as the Local Government Act and the Companion Animals Act. This includes managing the Council pound, responding to dog attacks, and impounding stray animals or livestock that may pose risks to traffic or public safety.
Rangers work closely with the Customer Service team to respond to reports from the community—such as stray dogs near parks, playgrounds, or public facilities. Where possible, animals are captured, scanned for microchips and owners contacted. If not identifiable, they are transported to Council's pound for care and processing.
Council has an online impounding system that allows residents to view impounded animals on the Council website. This has helped reunite more pets with their owners and increased public interest in rehoming. In the 2023–24 financial year, rangers and staff supported 295 adoptions and facilitated the release of 144 animals to rescue and rehoming organisations.
Rangers are unable to attend to animal cruelty or neglect complaints. NSW Police, RSPCA and Animal Welfare League inspectors are the only officers with those legislative powers.
Rangers also respond to a range of compliance issues including illegal dumping, beach driving permits and investigating dumped rubbish. While they are not police officers, they often work alongside NSW Police when matters escalate.
As Authorised Officers, rangers have the power to issue fines (Penalty Infringement Notices), seize animals, issue compliance orders, and initiate legal proceedings when necessary.
Of course, rangers are also responsible for inspecting parking zones, enforcing time limits, loading zone rules, and ensuring disabled parking spaces are respected—especially around schools, public car parks and community facilities.
