Surf Coast Shire makes changes to dog regulations

THE Surf Coast Shire will make some changes to its dog regulations in Torquay, Lorne, Moriac and Winchelsea.

Councillors considered a report on the update to the regulations at their meeting on Tuesday night.

The report notes that “following a very busy summer on the Surf Coast, a number of requests have been received to improve the current dog regulations.”

The requests came from the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee (GORCC) and the shire’s own Environment Unit regarding the remediation of Winchelsea Common.

Two of the bigger changes will be the removal of existing dog regulations at the Torquay Caravan Park and five caravan parks in Lorne – Kia Ora, Erskine River, Ocean Road, Top Bank and Queens Park.

GORRC, as land manager of the caravan parks, will instead develop and enforce its own Dog and Animal Policy, similar to the one now in place at Anglesea Caravan Park, for its land.

In Torquay, the Off-Leash area at Whites Beach will be extended 225 metres southwest from its existing position to the access stairs at Deep Creek.

“This will provide dog owners with more definition about where the regulated area starts and will provide this access from an area with substantial car parking,” the report states.

In Moriac, the new residential development on the eastern side of Hendy Main Road and south of Cape Otway Road will be included in the town boundary and thus be designated as an On Leash at All Times area.

The new residential development in Winchelsea on the western side of Winchelsea-Deans Marsh Road and south of the Princes Highway will similarly be included in the Winchelsea town boundary and become an always on-leash area. Winchelsea Common will also have a designated Off-Leash area consistent with the common’s Future Use Plan.

Dogs on leashes, or not, and their presence on certain stretches of beach, or not, is a contentious subject for dog walkers and non-walkers alike in the Surf Coast Shire, especially in Torquay.

The report acknowledges the “extensive, often divisive” community consultations behind the 2007 changes to dog regulations, which received minor updates in 2014.

“The proposed changes will not impact the way the majority of dog owners use public space in the Shire and as such it is not considered necessary to consult with community prior to making these proposed changes.”