Northern beaches: Step taken towards two more off-leash dog trials
Two popular beaches are being explored by the council as potential options for off-leash dog areas, stating there are greater calls for open spaces amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Manly
Don't miss out on the headlines from Manly. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Merger put under microscope as new report praises achievements.
- Poison alert: suspect rat bait found at North Curl Curl.
The latest beaches which could become dog friendly include designated spots at Palm Beach and Mona Vale Beach, with the council now looking into the next steps before a trial can commence.
It comes after an unhappy group of residents recently launched a court battle against Northern Beaches Council in a bid to stop an off-leash dog trial at Station Beach.
At the July meeting, councillors voted to have a report developed about the two new locations at North Palm Beach and the southern end of Mona Vale Beach.
Council officers have recommended to “run the trial over several
beaches to lessen the load on any particular beach”.
It also states there is “several entire suburbs with no off-leash space at all” and increasing demand for suitable open spaces “arising from COVID-19”.
Residents have clashed over the matter for several years now with Pittwater Unleashed asking for more off-leash dog areas, while group Protect Palm Beach has lobbied against it over safety and environmental concerns.
Pittwater Unleashed spokesman Mitch Geddes said the report was a “necessary step” in the right direction.
“When council recently tapped the community’s view about the Station Beach off-leash proposal, the response was nine to one in favour of families with dogs having shared access,” Mr Geddes said.
“Pittwater Unleashed believes we need to get past the unimaginative ‘no dogs’ mantra and instead focus on managing the issues. When you take the time to list the concerns, you find these can all be reasonably managed by choosing the locations and access times carefully.
“We only need three per cent - this might not sound like much but we can make it work. To us there is a world of difference between zero per cent and three per cent. We do not think this is a big ask, given the fact that we now have 60,000 dogs registered on the northern beaches.”
However, the spokesman for Palm Beach Protection Group said it wasn’t appropriate.
“The Palm Beach Protection Group opposes off-leash dogs on beaches because of public safety and environmental concerns,” Richard Kovacs said.
“Council should develop a holistic approach to managing dogs in community spaces on the Northern Beaches instead of turning our pristine beaches into off-leash dog parks.”
Councillor Ian White said there had previously been “an awful lot of confusion” about the matter.
“This is being investigated by the dog working group, there’s a lot of work to do,” Cr White stated at the council meeting on Tuesday.
“We’re not voting on a decision tonight, this is the start of the process, it might not be feasible but we need a balanced staff report.
“A lot of the research has already been done about bird migration habitats is already there, it’s a matter of staff pulling it together. I think there’s merit in opportunities and I think that should certainly be investigated.”
Cr Alex McTaggart said there was already funding for a report set by the administrator.
“We have room to burn down there. It’s the right place for it to go and that was what was identified by the staff in this long run saga. I ask you to support this motion and let’s just move this item on.”
Cr Ferguson said she expected it to be a “big ride” ahead.
“Well here we are again many years after this was raised. This whole process has been polarising and confrontational at times,” Cr Fergusons said.
“It’s important everybody gets to have their say and on this one everyone will get their say.
“It’s just a report and the findings will come back to council then it will go to community consultation.”