Council signs off on Sunbury Park plans, including off-leash dog park

HUME Council has signed off on plans for Sunbury’s first fenced dog park.

Burwood Dogs

HUME Council has signed off on a master plan for Sunbury Park, which includes the suburb’s first fenced dog park.

Approval of the 6ha site, at an existing reserve on Harker and Jackson streets, will see $661,796 added to the council’s upcoming capital works budget and will build on $150,000 allocated in the 2014/15 budget to create a dog park.

Councillor Jack Ogilvie said a fenced dog area fulfilled a long term demand.

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“Dogs off-leash are a problem in some instances and has posed some issues (for council),” he said.

“Many residents have wanted a place like this for dogs to go down and burn off some energy and it will be an asset.”

Cr Ogilvie said additions of facilities at the park were timely given Sunbury’s growing population.

“The main advantage of fencing off an area of this open space and having car parking is you create a dedicated place for dogs and the park reserve becomes a multiuse area that people can come to and do a number of activities.”

Upgrades mapped out in the report include building car parking and toilets, seating, picnic tables, barbecues, shelter, bins and paths and boardwalks.

The park was first gazetted in 1897 and contains several century-old trees.

Sunbury Park was first identified as a potential off-leash area after the success of a similar facility in Craigieburn.