Hazelmere Reserve, Glengowrie, to become Adelaide’s next official dog park in $270,000 upgrade plans

ONE of suburban Adelaide’s well-loved reserves is about to become the city’s next dog park.

Megan Haynes, with her dogs Suki and Muttley, at Hazelmere Reserve yesterday. Picture: AAP/Roy VanDerVegt

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HAZELMERE Reserve has officially gone to the dogs.

Pooches are marking their territory at the unofficial dog park, under a $270,000 Marion Council plan to upgrade the reserve as a paradise for pups.

Marion has voted to give the Glengowrie reserve official pooch park status, spending the money on a new area for small dogs, pathways, a shelter, seating and plantings.

The project is set to begin early next year and will also include new double gates, extra trees and dog water fountains.

The Oaklands Rd park already draws dog owners from far and wide, searching for a safe, fenced place to exercise with their pets.

When the CoastCity Weekly visited on Wednesday morning, 10 people and their pooches were exploring the park. The dogs were eagerly making new friends and visiting old ones, including Jan Wallent, who had earned a reputation as the lady with the treats.

The Plympton Park woman said Hazelmere’s fenced area provided a haven for her “escape artist” fox terrier cross, Skipper.

“It’s all regulars here – everyone knows each other,” she said.

Mrs Wallent favoured keeping the area as one open space – rather than creating a separate area for small dogs – so pooches had a bigger park to use.

“But I can understand the people in the (Glengowrie Estate) retirement village want to come in and not get knocked over,” she said.

Hove’s Megan Haynes said she and her dogs Suki and Muttley loved the park the way it was – although seats, shelters and parks would be welcome.

She also did not favour separating smaller and larger canines, saying they should learn to socialise.

Tamara Nunan, walking her dog Alfie and other local pooches, said some breeds needed the full area to get enough exercise – along with their human companions.

“We all do big laps and if you decrease the area by a third, you also decrease the amount people are going to do that,” she said.

Marion also voted to spend $30,000 on upgrades to Dumbarton Avenue Reserve, Edwardstown, to make it more dog-friendly.

This is likely to include new garden beds with shrubs and trees to informally divide the playground area and a space used by dog owners.

The council will consult the community on the plans over the next couple of weeks, through on-site and online feedback.

Visit marion.sa.gov.au

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