Dog owners in bitter dispute with South Hobart Football Club over access to local oval

Dog owners are embroiled in a bitter dispute with a local soccer club over who is allowed access to a suburban sports ground, with one coach saying the home ground is being damaged by pooches.

South Hobart Oval. Picture: South Hobart FC

South Hobart dog owners are locked in a bitter dispute with the local soccer club over access to one of the suburb’s two ovals, with the city council unable to resolve the heated conflict.

In an unusual arrangement relative to other sports grounds across the state, dogs are currently permitted off-lead at the South Hobart Oval.

For the past 20 years, dogs have been officially allowed to exercise on the pitch, due to a shortfall of well-situated open public space in the suburb.

A stoush between dog owners and the South Hobart Football Club is heating up. Picture: iStock

Relations between the dog-walking community and the South Hobart Football Club (SHFC) – which leases the oval from the Hobart City Council – have soured, with the club accusing dog-walkers of being irresponsible and allowing their pooches to freely relieve themselves on the ground, damaging the surface and creating headaches in terms of upkeep.

Dog-owners, meanwhile, say the club is unfairly “maligning” them and exaggerating the situation with “false” claims.

The council is in the process of reviewing its dog management policy, including a proposal to designate additional areas as off-limits for dogs.

In a report prepared for elected members, set to be debated at a council meeting on Monday, officers have recommended that the status quo be maintained at South Hobart Oval.

“Given that the current situation at South Hobart Oval has existed for over 20 years, and whilst it is not ideal, it is considered that maintaining the status quo would be the fairest situation for the different stakeholders at this time,” the report said.

Public consultation was recently undertaken in relation to the policy review, attracting more than 300 submissions from the community.

Twenty-four per cent of respondents were South Hobart residents.

South Hobart coach Ken Morton. Picture: Hayden Cornes

Ken Morton, the head coach of South Hobart’s Women’s Super League side, said in his submission that he had “never seen [the oval] in such terrible condition”.

“The volunteers at my club should not have to fill holes before every game to save players from serious injury or pick up dog poo,” he said.

“The dog urine has left hundreds of marks on the playing surface which are horrible to look at, kill the grass, and certainly don’t help the roll of the ball.

“We host games for almost every club in Tasmania. Clubs from other municipalities think our home ground is a joke and call it ‘the dog park’.”

Mr Morton urged the council to find alternative venues for dogs “to poo and walk”.

The Hobart Dog Walking Association, however, said the council should “ignore the concerted campaign” by the club, which it said was “maligning [Hobart] dog owners”.

“Many SHFC members do not reside in South Hobart … The many responsible South Hobart dog owners are sick of the false and exaggerated claims by the SHFC,” the association said in its submission.

“South Hobart people are very community-minded, care about their community and deserve more respect.”

Originally published as Dog owners in bitter dispute with South Hobart Football Club over access to local oval