City unleashes its plan for dog-friendly parks

By Roje Adaimy

The City of Sydney Council has this week approved its controversial plan to introduce an additional 30 leash-free parks for dogs and their owners at all times.
The City will now have a total of 33 full-time off-leash parks – including three already in existence, and 18 that
are currently restricted to off-leash conditions between 6pm and 8am.
Some of Sydney’s major parks, including Cook & Phillip Park, Ultimo’s Wentworth Park, and Green Park in Darlinghurst, will allow dogs to be off their leads 24-hours a day once appropriate signage is installed by the Council.
The number of parks originally proposed was dropped by 15, following strong public opposition and a heated debate among councillors as it was brought before Council on Monday night.
Most of the parks excluded from the proposal – including Victoria Park in Chippendale and Prince Alfred Park in Surry Hills – drew opposition because of the lack of protective fencing around children’s play areas.
Councillor Marcelle Hoff said some residents had suggested to her that they would put crushed glass in raw meat in the park for dogs to eat because they were so concerned about the safety of their children in an off-leash area.
Plans to make the popular Rushcutters Bay Park leash-free were also put on hold, pending further investigation. The Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP expressed her concern that upcoming development work on the site, and its co-ownership with Woollahra Council, may mean it’s not suitable for full-time off-leash conditions.
Several amendments to the proposal were put forward by councillors but quickly rejected, including the proposition that the City run a 12-month trial period before the policy was finalised to gauge public reaction.
Councillor Tony Pooley was critical of the plan’s suggestion that it will increase the enforcement of dog ownership only during early stages of its implementation, based on the small number of fines issued for dogs that were off-leash in the past year (48 in total).
As part of the initiative, the City will investigate the possibility of enlisting volunteers from the local area to help owners manage their dog responsibly and help educate them about relevant legislation.
The Council’s off-leash plan attracted 1,527 submissions during its two-month public exhibition period, with a majority of the responses supporting the proposal.
Despite criticism from within the chamber and some members of the public, Cr Moore said that the report was fair and balanced, and welcomed the initiative as a way to “build communities and social interaction”.