Dog owners speak out over new off-leash masterplan changes to Bob Campbell Oval

Dog owners and sporting groups are being urged to find common ground as a suburban battle brews over the use of a north shore park and sporting oval.

Dog owners and sporting groups are being urged to find common ground as a suburban battle brews over the use of a north shore park and sporting oval.

Tensions between sporting groups and dog owners have been aired at a Lane Cove Council meeting over fears dog owners could be limited from letting their dogs off leash at Bob Campbell Oval in response to conflicts with sporting groups who share the field.

Dog owners packed the council meeting to raise concerns over planned changes to a previously approved masterplan for the oval which now proposes building a designated enclosed off-leash dog facility at the site.

A council report stated the changes were partly in response to continued correspondence from sporting clubs about the deteriorating turf sports fields from dogs “digging holes, defecating on the fields, and leaving sticks” on the oval.

“This is an ongoing issue that sporting clubs and the community are struggling to resolve,” the council report added.

Design changes have been made to the oval masterplan.

The changes are also aimed at addressing rising construction costs associated with the masterplan which includes laying natural turf to replace the existing turf as well as upgraded lighting to accommodate soccer and cricket users.

The council report stated it would “not be possible” to maintain the new turf to the “high standard” if dogs are allowed-off leash on the field.

The council, however, insists that there is no plan “at this stage/” to limit use of off-leash dogs at the facility.

The oval is a popular recreation space for the community.

But dog owners have expressed concerns that the new facility could limit their ability to walk dogs on the oval, and have also objected to lack of consultation on the changes.

Greenwich resident Mark Merrick said there was “no evidence” of bad dog behaviour at the oval.

“I’m very concerned that the dog pen is an underhanded way of restricting future dog use at Bob Campbell Oval,” he said.

The oval is shared by various sporting groups.

Dog owner Helena Greenwell suggested damage at the park could be caused by children and golfers rather than dog owners.

Ms Greenwell also claimed the complaints about dog walkers may be driven by “vexatious sports people”.

“I rarely see holes or excessive poo throughout the week (but) I do see children digging trenches and a golfer who uses the area frequently who may be responsible for the holes that are occasionally occurring,” she said.

A dedicated off-leash facility is proposed at the site.

“It is unfair to blame dog owners for every issue – unfortunately there are some irresponsible dog owners but surely all dog owners shouldn’t be punished and have the sole off-leash dog park in the area taken away.”

Local resident and business owner Jo Brennan echoed the concern and called for the council to not give preference to either dog owners or sports users

Lane Cove Mayor Scott Bennison said changes would aim to resolve a growing number of dog related conflicts in the council area which includes reports of dog owners displaying “poor behaviour” towards council staff.

He said the primary purpose of the masterplan changes was to address rising budget costs associated with the upgrade.

Independent councillor Bridget Kennedy, however, believes the changes to the masterplan will not resolve the “discontent” about how sport facilities are allocated and called for the council to “look outside the square’’ for another solution and consult with dog owners.

The council’s general manager, Craig Wrightson, speaking at last week’s council meeting, repeatedly stressed that the council was “not banning dogs” from the oval and also rejected claims dog owners would be fined if dogs are seen by rangers digging holes at the oval.

Lane Cove councillor Andrew Zbik.

The changes to the oval masterplan come after the council introduced a new compulsory red flag system that requires sporting clubs to lay out flags during games to indicate where dogs are permitted.

The council said the changes were designed to “keep athletes and dogs safe” during games as well as educating the community on ways of sharing sports fields.

Councillor Andrew Zbik believes the new dog enclosure will address the current conflicts between sporting and dog users.

“One thing we do know we haven’t resolved in the community is the conflict between residents playing sport and residents with their dogs when sport is played simultaneously,” he said.

“A segregated dog park guarantees off dog leash access (because) when we do have sport being played at the oval they can go and have some off-leash time.”