(1) On receiving an
application for the grant or renewal of an approval to breed cats under
section 36, a local government is to —
(a)
grant or refuse to grant an approval for the person to breed cats; or
(b)
renew or refuse to renew an approval for the person to breed cats.
(2) A local government
may refuse an application for the grant or renewal of an approval to breed
cats only if the local government is satisfied that one or more of the
following apply —
(a) the
applicant is a child under 18 years of age;
(b) the
applicant has no, or insufficient, facilities to breed cats in a safe and
ethical way;
(c) the
applicant has no, or unsuitable, premises where cats can be bred in a safe and
ethical way;
(d) the
applicant has been convicted within the previous 3 years of an offence against
—
(i)
this Act; or
(ii)
the Dog Act 1976 ; or
(iii)
the Animal Welfare Act 2002 ;
(e) the
applicant is not a fit and proper person to breed cats;
(f) such
other circumstances, if any, as are prescribed.
(3) A local government
to which an application is made may require the applicant to give the local
government, within a specified time of not more than 21 days, any document or
information that it requires to determine the application and may require the
applicant to verify the information by statutory declaration.
(4) The local
government may refuse to consider an application if the applicant does not
comply with a requirement under subsection (3) within the specified time.
(5) Despite subsection
(2), a local government is not to refuse to grant or renew an approval to
breed cats if the applicant belongs to a class of persons prescribed for the
purposes of this subsection.
(6) Subject to this
Act, the grant or renewal of an approval to breed cats has effect for the
period, or periods, prescribed.