Paw-fect opportunity to have your say

MAKING the beach to the west of the Clifton Springs Boat Harbour a “dogs off leash” area is just one proposal as part of the Draft Dog Controls in Public Places Policy.

The City of Greater Geelong is inviting the community to have their say on the policy as part of the second round of consultation.

Director of Planning and Development Joanne Van Slageren said Geelong was a growing population, and it was important to plan, design and deliver public open spaces for people to exercise, including those who were accompanied by their dog.

The community provided feedback on dog regulations earlier this year.

A number of changes were made to the policy and the city is now seeking feedback regarding these proposed changes.

Some of the changes made to the policy include a proposal to make the beach to the west of the Clifton Springs Boat Harbour up to Griggs Creek a “dogs off leash” area, increasing accessibility to waste bins for dog walkers and increasing the number of offleash areas from 121 to 140.

Ms Van Slageren said the city was running a second round of consultation to make sure everyone had a chance to have their say.

“There are 14 dogs for every 100 people in the City of Greater Geelong so we need to talk about how we can provide great spaces for dog lovers to enjoy with their animals without detracting from the rights of other people who wish to exercise and enjoy our beautiful public spaces,” Ms Van Slageren said.

“With research showing that pets can help to improve people’s mental and physical health, reduce the effects of stress, reduce social isolation and build a sense of community and inclusion, four-legged friends are an important part of community life.”

There are 34,169 registered dogs within the City of Greater Geelong, with the highest levels of dog registration in Lara, Highton/Wandana Heights and Ocean Grove.

Greater Geelong is comprised of 1,250 square kilometres of land, including a mix of coastal, rural and urban areas, consisting of parks, reserves, walking, tracks, pathways, coastline reserves, and other open spaces.

The City enforces dog control orders to protect people, animals and the natural environment.

Dog controls for Barwon Heads, Black Rock and Thirteenth Beach managed by the Barwon Coast Committee of Management are not part of this engagement.

The community will be engaged at a later date about these control orders.

For more information and to have your say, the community consultation is online at geelongaustralia.com.au/yoursay until November 3.

Hard copies are also available at the City’s Customer Service Centres or by phoning 5272 5272.