The Northern Beaches Council has unanimously approved Avalon Beach Reserve to be a permanent off-leash dog park.
Both the Council and Mayor Michael Regan agreed that finding a balance is a must between the interests of the park users living nearby with those dog owners who want more areas to be more canine-friendly.
After receiving extensive community engagement, Council decided to make the northern section of the Avalon Beach Reserve an off-leash dog park. Other measures approved during the April 2019 meeting included putting up fences, new seating structures, extra landscaping, signages, bins, and drinking fountains throughout the said area.
The Council also responded to widespread community feedback regarding the overall maintenance of the dog park. Residents emphasised the need to keep the area maintained to a high standard, with regular ranger visits to the site.
Dog Water Parks
After Council’s approval of the Avalon Beach Reserve, up next would be the proposed off-leash area is the Station Beach at Palm Beach. However, more discussions will still be needed before this proposal can be considered for approval due to the growing tension between the proponents and residents who wish to keep things the way they are.
To ease the tension, Deputy Mayor Sue Heins called on the Council to look more closely into the introduction of dog water parks instead.
As a compromise between dog owners and residents who do not want dogs on the beach, adding water features and pools specifically designed for dogs on majority (if not all) of the approved off-leash parks was strongly suggested.
A number of Palm Beach residents have supported this idea since this seems easier to manage and more cost-effective rather than putting the open beach at risk for contamination.
Given the suggestion and support from the community, the Council officers have tabled the possibility of having dog water parks for further discussion.