FOLLOWING consultation which resulted in 276 submissions made by the community, Council has endorsed to proceed to investigate two primary locations to determine the feasibility of off-leash dog exercise areas.
Key findings of the survey are:
– 67.8 percent of respondents travel to exercise their dog;
– 37.3 percent of respondents utilise a Council park/sportsground to exercise their dogs, with the most popular facilities being:
● 14.1 percent – Bennett Park and Jubilee Park (Dungog)
● 13.8 percent – Village Green (Clarence Town)
– 32.2 percent of respondents who travel selected Dungog Common as their location of choice; and
– 58.7 percent of respondents allow their dogs to play off-leash.
Council will now investigate Bennett Park and Jubilee Park as potential sites for an off-leash dog park in response to community demand.
“The sites will be assessed on accessibility, safety, land use compatibility, and community impact,” a Council spokesperson stated.
“Once a suitable site is identified and Council has determined the costs associated with the development of the site, Council will seek to obtain funding for the development and implementation of the off-leash dog park.”
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It would be good to have 2 off-leash sites – one at Dungog and one at Clarence Town as there are a very large number of holiday people from out of town who bring dogs to the holiday park (who were not privy to the survey). Guests with dogs on-leash and locals with dogs off-leash at the park makes for a very hectic, conflicting and unsafe place.