Eglinton – cats and Ningana coastal dune belt

How layout shapes cat movement

Eglinton houses sit between Marmion Avenue and the Ningana coastal dune reserves that link south towards Alkimos and north towards Yanchep National Park.^S1 Back fences along streets like Pipidinny Road and sections of Cinnabar Drive and Ronsard Drive back towards coastal bushland or drainage lines rather than deep backyards, so a gap at the fence base lets a cat step onto open sand or path edges in one or two moves.

Wildlife most exposed

• Coastal heath and parabolic dune vegetation in Ningana Bushland support small ground mammals and reptile fauna recorded in DBCA and environmental survey work for the northern Swan Coastal Plain and Ningana Bushland (Bush Forever Site 289).^S1
• Waterbirds and other ground-feeding birds have been recorded in the Eglinton–Two Rocks coastal corridor and nearby wet depressions in fauna survey reports for northern coastal developments.^S2
• Black cockatoos are noted in regional movement and habitat data for the northern suburbs, including Eglinton, where banksia and coastal woodland provide foraging habitat.^S3

Common cat lifestyles

• Fence-base slip cats – use sand that slumps away from Colorbond or post-and-rail fences on wind-exposed blocks to slip through gaps into the dune edge.
• Gate-lift cats – find movement around side gates on sloping driveways leading straight towards shared paths along Marmion Avenue.
• Dusk-pressure cats – follow low light along the coastal path and access tracks where people walk dogs at last light.
• Pine-belt / creek-line scent followers – track scent along drainage depressions and low points that run back towards coastal swales.

High-risk zones (specific)

• Back fences of properties west of Marmion Avenue where the lot boundary abuts Ningana Bushland or foreshore-linked reserves.^S1
• Side passages on streets feeding directly to shared paths and access tracks towards the dunes around Pipidinny Road and connecting local access ways.
• Drainage basins and swales between housing cells where cats can move along bare sand edges and then into uncleared coastal vegetation.

Cat rules that apply

Eglinton is in the City of Wanneroo. Cat owners must comply with the WA Cat Act 2011, which requires microchipping, sterilisation and registration of cats over six months, and gives councils power to enforce these duties.^S4 The City of Wanneroo Cat Local Law adds limits on cat numbers, registration tag display and approval if more than three cats are kept on a property.^S5

Why containment fits this suburb

In Eglinton, many back fences sit only one strip of lawn away from Ningana Bushland or drainage corridors, so a fence-base gap leads directly from paving to a vegetated dune or basin edge rather than into multiple internal yards. Side-alley cat netting that closes the corridor between house wall and boundary fence reduces these single-step exits while still allowing outdoor access in long, narrow spaces. Here is an example in Eglinton.

Better options for cats

• Dusk and night indoors when coastal paths and dune edges are most used by wildlife and dog walkers.
• Check fence bases in summer where sand movement can open gaps under Colorbond panels.
• Use cat netting at side passages and yard edges that open straight towards Ningana Bushland or drainage basins.

Helpful links

• City of Wanneroo – owning a cat^S5
• City of Wanneroo – protecting our native animals^S6
• DBCA – Bush Forever Site 289 Ningana Bushland (Yanchep/Eglinton)^S1
• Back to Wanneroo: https://www.kitty-safe.com.au/cat-safety-network-2/city-of-wanneroo-coastal-corridor-wetlands-bushland-roaming-cats/

Sources

• S1 – DBCA / Bush Forever Site 289, Ningana Bushland Yanchep/Eglinton – coastal dune and vegetation description.^S1
• S2 – Fauna survey documents for Eglinton and northern Swan Coastal Plain, recording waterbirds in dune swales and wetlands.^S2
• S3 – ReWild Perth Carnaby’s black-cockatoo resource noting use of northern suburbs including Eglinton for foraging.^S3
• S4 – WA Cat Act 2011 and state fact sheets summarising identification, registration and sterilisation duties.^S4
• S5 – City of Wanneroo Cat Local Law and “Owning a cat” page describing local requirements.^S5
• S6 – City of Wanneroo “Protecting our native animals” environment page describing native mammals in local bushland reserves.^S6