Great news, Council has approved By-law 7 – Dogs.

The by-law provides Council with the power to apply dog on-lead and dog prohibited areas as the need arises. Existing dog on-lead, dog prohibited, and dog exercise areas will continue but Council may vary or amend on-leash and prohibited areas after the by-law has commenced, or at a later time.

The by-law requires dog on-leash and dog prohibited controls at Hooded Plover breeding sites and dogs must be on-lead during times when organised sport is played on a park or reserve as indicated by signage. A detailed list of what has changed is provided below.

We received 289 submissions during our engagement providing suggestions and feedback on the draft by-law. A summary of submissions were presented at the 19 July 2022 meeting.

During the consultation, there were 1700 visits to the Your Say page with 679 of those people downloading a document. Below is a snapshot of what we heard:

Comments received:

  • Dogs on-leash in more locations for longer and under more effective control.
  • More dog free areas and greater restrictions on dogs in public areas.
  • Support for the protection of native fauna from dogs and cats.
  • Increase ranger presence in the community to educate, enforce and encourage dog owners to be more responsible including picking up after their dog.
  • More open spaces for dogs including access to national parks.
  • Freedom for dogs including more off-leash areas on the foreshore and in parks with flexible times.

What has changed:

  •  Dogs are to be on-leash when organised sport is being played – as indicated by signs at the park or reserve
  • Dogs are to be on-leash in Hooded Plover dog on-leash zones, and prohibited in Hooded Plover dog prohibited zones 
  • Existing foreshore dog on-leash areas and dog prohibited areas now includes coastal waters that extend 50m from the lower watermark which is normally the council boundary
  • Dogs used for law enforcement or search and rescue in dog on-leash and dog prohibited areas are exempted
  • Dogs aren’t to be kept on properties where there’s no secure area

We’d like to thank everyone who participated and provided feedback.

For more details on the final By-law 7 - Dogs and the community engagement outcomes, please follow the links

Consultation closed on 26 May 2022.