Taking off the leash
Image: A dog walker in Raleigh Reserve.
Waverley Council will introduce a series of changes to provisions for dog walking in a bid to help balance the use of local park and recreational space by visitors.
Under the Companion Animals Act 1998, recreational visitors to public places are not permitted to have more than four dogs per person. However, Mayor Sally Betts said it was becoming increasingly difficult for Waverley rangers to police areas like Raleigh Reserve and Bronte Gully to ensure park spaces were shared equally between dog owners and visitors.
“The problem is … when dog walkers bring more than four dogs … it seems you cannot continue to close your eyes to what is illegal behaviour,” she said.
Ms Betts said Council were investigating options to increase off leash areas and help give dog owners greater assurance when they visited Waverley parks like Raleigh and Rodney Reserves.
“We have just come up with a trial policy to see how it works [and] to give the dog owners some rights,” she said. “The only way we can monitor it is by asking the rangers to be very vigilant … it definitely needs more control”.
The proposed arrangements see to the introduction of a time-restricted off leash zone within a designated area of Bronte Gully, located 60 metres from the children’s playground. This off leash zone will be from 3pm to 10am for a trial period of 12 months.
In Raleigh Reserve, Dover Heights, the current 24 hour off leash zone will be retained but with a new on leash buffer zone at the Raleigh St entrance at the southern border of the park for a trial period of six months.
Currently in Bronte Gully and Park, dogs are prohibited everywhere except for the coastal promenade and the upper pathway between Murray St and Bayview St.
Both arrangements would involve Council’s facilitation of an educational campaign with landscaping and signage, which Mayor Betts said was “absolutely essential”.
But Councillor Paula Masselos raised concerns over introducing an off leash zone in Bronte Park, arguing Council has a “duty of care” and should consider Calga Reserve in Bronte as an alternative.
“Why have this [off] leash area [in Bronte Gully] so close to a children’s playground and why should we be having to fence in our children? It’s in an area of bush regeneration where you have a habitat for our animals and [wildlife],” Ms Masselos said.
Councillor Andrew Cusack identified a lack of recreational areas for dog owners in Waverley, arguing the proposed off leash area in Bronte Park was “modest” in size and said the time restrictions should be more accommodating.
“The problem is one in three families in Waverley have pets. There aren’t enough places they can walk and exercise their pets,” Mr Cusack said. “The times were [initially] quite prohibitive in my humble opinion and I’ve tried to make them more generous”.
The changes were approved at the October 15 Council meeting and will come into effect at the end of this year in Raleigh Reserve, and at the beginning of 2014 for Bronte Gully.
