Help shape the DAMP by having your say

OPINIONS about how dogs should be managed are as wide and varied as the breeds that are loved and housed in Greater Geelong.

We councillors hear from people who prefer to never see a dog as they enjoy all aspects of the region dog-free; we also hear from owners who believe they should be allowed to take their dog wherever they go.

As with most things in life, there is a happy medium and most people understand that a few rules will satisfy the vast majority. My experience as a community representative is that people want to be heard and acknowledged, and they want rules to be logical and appropriate.

I may be biased but Greater Geelong people are generally intelligent and reasonable. Something I have also noticed are localised cultures and practices in different parts of our broader region.

On the Bellarine for example, there is a difference in culture of dog walking between the bayside townships and the ocean beaches.

The surf beaches are used more for free-ranging exercise by bigger dogs, while the bayside paths are more commonly used by people with smaller dogs on leads.

For this reason, several years ago we decoupled the timing of dog orders endorsement for Bellarine Bayside – managing the northern Bellarine – and Barwon Coast, which looks after the southern side with the ocean beaches.

As a regular runner between Point Lonsdale and Barwon Heads, I am witness to the vast majority of dogs being larger breeds, mostly retrievers and herding dogs.

More than 80 per cent of the dogs I typically see are labradors, golden retrievers, beagles, kelpies, border collies, German pointers and of course oodles and oodles of oodles.

And with more than 10 kilometres of beach that spans 150 metres of hard sand from dune to shore at low tide, what a perfect place to let these running dogs stretch their legs off leash.

We all know dogs, like children, are happier and more well behaved with a decent amount of fresh air and exercise. To keep a large, active dog on a lead at all times creates unhappiness and stress.

It’s patently obvious that anxious dogs are not at their best – just watch interactions on the beach stairs as excited dogs become entangled on their way to and from the sand. If there was ever a recipe for snippy, snappy reactions that has all the ingredients.

There seems to be a strong community preference for the dog orders on our ocean beaches to replicate the Surf Coast rules – timed with seasons and offering a solution that gives options for everyone to enjoy the beaches in the way they wish to.

Another round of survey consultation is now being conducted, largely to ascertain the management of dogs at Ocean Grove Main Beach. There is a trial planned to make the main beach dog-free – from Hodgson Street to just past the surf club.

This survey may also provide insights into whether the broader set of dog orders landed effectively or not. I have had a large volume of feedback that they didn’t and that there are tweaks required.

Barwon Coast is keen to see the 800 metre section of Ocean Grove Main Beach become dog-free.

Meanwhile, there is huge demand from beach users to walk dogs off-leash, further up the beach towards Barwon Heads, between 7pm-9am in summer (as per the rules in Torquay and the rest of the Surf Coast). The current dog orders don’t allow dogs to be off leash in this area at all on beaches from November right through to May.

The two changes could offer a logical solution: dog-free in one area and more freedom outside peak hours in another area.
I urge all interested parties to contribute their feedback to the current survey at yoursay.geelongaustralia.com.au/. Following this independent survey, the council will be looking at the Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAMP), which also includes the approach to management of dogs in public places.

The draft DAMP was released this week to the community for consultation. This consultation process provides the opportunity for residents to share their thoughts about the city’s management of cats and dogs.

It will provide another opportunity for people to have their say about exercising dogs off lead, dogs on beaches, signage about dogs, dog parks and more.

The best results are always when as many people as possible have their say, so please take the time and let the team know your thoughts.

Stephanie Asher, Mayor