Results Now In - Access Areas for Dogs Policy Round 2 Consultation

Public exhibition of the draft Access Areas for Dogs Policy (the Policy) closed on 11 June 2023. The policy was on exhibition for 6 weeks. 491 people participated in the survey and 11 written submissions were received. Thank you to all who provided feedback.

860 social media responses were recorded including comments, shares, and links. The total engagement for this round of consultation was 1,362.

The responses received have now been reviewed. There is broad community support for the Policy - 40.5% of survey participants stated that they support the Policy, and 42.9% stated that they support the Policy with changes. 16.7% of respondents did not support the Policy. This means the proposed Policy enjoys general support from over 80% of respondents.

The Policy is currently being revised, taking your feedback into consideration, and will be submitted to Council for endorsement in the coming months. An Engagement Summary Report on the outcomes of the public exhibition period will also be submitted to Council.

The broad range of views on dog-controlled areas have been noted and registered. This includes requests for off-leash areas, requests for dog-prohibited areas and comments on signage, compliance, and enforcement. Your feedback will be included in the Engagement Summary Report to be submitted to Council and will inform future planning.

Thank you to everyone who participated for sharing your local knowledge and assisting Council to manage dog access areas in line with community expectations, environmental considerations, and legal requirements.

Further information about previous consultation activities and relating to the Policy can be found on the Access Areas for Dogs Policy Get Involved web page.