A council in Australia is set to ban cats from being outdoors unless they are on a lead.

A cat

A cat

Planned changes to laws in Freemantle, Western Australia, would mean felines being prohibited from all council-owned - including roads and bushlands.

Members of the council voted to approve proposals tabled by Councillor Adin Lang with the idea that the changes will protect wildlife and remove the risk of cats being hit by cars.

Lang told Perth Now: "In the 1970s dogs would roam our streets and I expect roaming cats will also become a thing of the past.

"While we have prohibited areas in our natural bushland, cats are still entering.

"At a minimum our bushland areas needed a prohibited area buffer. Many of our native verge gardens which also act as a wildlife refuge also need protection from cats."

Lang added: "This is about protecting our wildlife and it's also about helping to keep people's cats safe from cat fights or getting hit by cars."