Survey results reveal what readers think about off leash dog areas on Gold Coast beaches
What readers voted in The Bulletin's survey about off leash areas for dogs on Gold Coast beaches. FIND OUT THE RESULT
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A MAJORITY of Gold Coast residents surveyed about off leash areas for dogs do not want pets roaming around on the city’s beaches.
The Bulletin has staged a poll on the divisive debate as councillors at a lifestyle committee meeting met to debate a petition calling for an off-leash area at Nobby Beach.
Officers had recommended not supporting the petition, and in a report raised concerns about safety of beachgoers.
They said as off leash dog parks were nearby.Councillors at the committee meeting ticked off on the recommendation without debate.
The Bulletin has asked readers whether they would support more off leash areas for dogs on the Coast’s beaches.
After 640 votes were cast, 32 per cent of people said “yes” and 68 per cent were “against”.
All councillors will vote on the petition at a full council meeting next Tuesday.
A petition signed by about 40 residents was seeking a dog off-leash area at Nobby Beach between 5pm and 7.30am.
Council officers in their report said the city had a network of 128 dog off-leash areas offering a variety of facilities and activities.
“Of these, six are designated beach off-leash areas covering a total of five kilometres. This means that 10 per cent of the city beaches are already established as off leash areas,” the report said.
Residents and tourists in more than 50 public submissions to the council in 2019 on animal control areas raised serious health and safety concerns.Palm Beach in 2015 was exposed as the Coast’s “stinker of a beach” after a random clean-up led to volunteers picking up 48 bags of dog poo in 45 minutes.
A Palm Beach resident in a 2019 submission warned about the number of dogs and people on the beach being “dangerous and uncomfortable”.
But area councillor Daphne McDonald, at the time, called for the issue of off-leash beach areas for dogs being revisited by council after public consultation produced only 52 responses.
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April 19, 2021
RESIDENTS are requesting that one of the Gold Coast’s popular beaches becomes an off-leash area for the city’s booming dog population.
But council officers in a report have recommended a refusal to the petitioners, sparking a fresh debate about dog access to the tourist strip’s best locations.
A petition signed by about 40 residents is seeking a dog off-leash area at Nobby Beach between 5pm and 7.30am.
Council officers in their report said the city has a network of 128 dog off-leash areas offering a variety of facilities and activities.
“Of these, six are designated beach off-leash areas covering a total of five kilometres. This means that 10 per cent of the city beaches are already established as off leash areas,” the report said.
“Dog owners can also walk their dog on-leash on most Gold Coast beaches.”
Council officers cautioned about the risks associated with dog off leash areas adjoining general beach areas.
Councillors will vote on the officer’s recommendation at a lifestyle committee meeting on Tuesday.
Previous debates about dog access to beaches have caused division in the chamber.
Residents and tourists in more than 50 public submissions to the council in 2019 on animal control areas raised serious health and safety concerns.
Palm Beach in 2015 was exposed as the Coast’s “stinker of a beach” after a random clean-up led to volunteers picking up 48 bags of dog poo in 45 minutes.
A Palm Beach resident in a 2019 submission warned about the number of dogs and people on the beach being “dangerous and uncomfortable”.
“I have seen verbal fights escalate and witnessed by the children of the men fighting. It is very ugly. I have also seen dog fights,” the resident wrote.
Area councillor Daphne McDonald later called for the issue of off-leash beach areas for dogs being revisited by council after public consultation produced only 52 responses.
“For a city of over 600,000 residents, maybe half have got an animal, that’s a poor response,” she said.
The council was urged to consider another off-leash area to take the pressure off Palm Beach, The Spit and Tallebudgera which offer the only beach locations for pets to be walked off leash.
Council officers in the latest report said the Coast had 65,000 registered dogs which equated to 10 per cent of people having a pet.
“Increasing the off-leash beach access may be detrimental to other users and create conflict. Balancing the needs of the community is important and must consider the needs and expectations of the majority of users,” the report said.
Officers suggest Nobby Beach had a low dog population density and there were two off leash areas available for residents at Pizzey Park, Mermaid Waters and Ernie Tebb Park, Miami.
“The location does not meet the criteria within the dog off-leash area guidelines adopted by council.
Community feedback as part of the Animal Control Register review in 2019 resulted in over 50 per cent of respondents stating that they do not want additional beach off-leash areas in the city,” officers said in the report.
October 2020
A GOLD Coast woman wants more off-leash dog zones on city beaches after she was stung $133 for walking her jack russell terrier off the leash one morning.
Jessica Wilson, 27, says a council employee and police officer fined her for walking her dog Molly at Mermaid Beach two weeks ago.
“It was so early in the morning, about 7am, the flags weren’t even up,” Ms Wilson said.
“I saw two people walking towards me – a council employee and a police officer. It was so intense.
“The guy said they had been receiving complaints from locals. I thought that’s just crap.
“Most of the people who live in the area have dogs and walk them on the beach early in the morning. I was told ‘rules are rules’.”
LIST: BEST OFF LEASH DOG BEACHES ON THE GOLD COAST
There are six off-leash dog exercise areas covering almost five kilometres of Gold Coast beaches and foreshores. They are at The Spit, Tallebudgera Beach, Palm Beach, Biggera Waters Esplanade foreshore, Labrador foreshore and Paradise Point foreshore.
After being fined, Ms Wilson said she spoke to locals about the need for more central off-leash dog beach space.
She started an online petition, calling on the council to consider a new location. In the first week 178 people signed the petition.
“(Pets) aren’t allowed on public transport either, so if you don’t drive, you have no options,” Ms Wilson said.
“People have even signed the petition from interstate. There’s a lot of people who travel and stay here during school holidays and bring their dogs.”
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Ms Wilson hoped the council would consider allowing Nobby Beach, near the rock underneath the North Burleigh lookout, as an off-leash zone.
“Nobby is the ideal area because there is a big rock that can signal the start or end.
“If they don’t want to make it off-leash all the time, have it before and after the flags as an off-leash area.”
The Gold Coast City Council said it did consider new locations. Noise and smell issues were among the criteria when determining an off-leash area.
“The city currently has 119 dog off-leash parks including three beach areas which cover 2.5km of the coastline,” the spokeswoman said.
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“The creation of all dog off-leash areas requires careful consideration and from time to time individuals or community groups request new areas, including beaches, and each is considered on its merit.
“Two of the three existing dog off-leash beach areas – The Spit and Tallebudgera Beach – are located in areas that are a significant distance from residential properties, which means there is little to no impact to residents.
“The third dog off-leash beach located at Palm Beach Parklands is in proximity to residential properties and holiday apartments. The city does receive a small number of complaints relating to odour and noise at the beach.”
The council would not say how many fines were issued to pet owners each year. It also declined to explain why council employees were teamed with a police officer when approaching pet owners outside off-leash beach zones, but said: “City officers regularly conduct patrols with police officers.”
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