FAQs - Narrawallee Beach Dogs Access

A REF is a formal environmental assessment required under Part 5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW). It examines the environmental, social, safety and recreational impacts of a proposed activity.  

The new REF will assess potential adjustments to current dog access arrangements at Narrawallee Beach.

The new REF will:

• Assess likely impacts (positive and negative)
• Consider threatened species and habitat
• Identify potential mitigation measures
• Ensure Council complies with environmental legislation

Provide evidence and informs decision-making.

The new REF will examine potential adjustments to current dog access arrangements at Narrawallee, including:

• 24-hour dog off-leash access in the central section of Narrawallee Beach between 1 May and 1 October each year
• Additional on-leash access via the Victor Avenue and Surfers Avenue stairs 

Potential mitigation measures required to protect environmental and social values.

The 2024 REF assessed the then-proposed timed off-leash arrangements.

The new REF will assess different potential adjustments.

Because the proposal has changed, the assessment must be updated so that it accurately reflects the activity Council is considering.

Two Council resolutions inform the proposal that is the subject of the REF: These are MIN25.394 and MIN25.334.

A REF provides an assessment of potential impacts, identifies risks, and suggests mitigation measures or conditions.

It may outline options or preferred approaches from an environmental assessment perspective, but it does not replace Council’s role.

Councillors ultimately decide whether to proceed, modify or not proceed with any proposed adjustments.

• A timed off-leash area is currently in place in the middle section of Narrawallee Beach.
• Dog-prohibited areas apply at the northern and southern sections due to environmental and amenity considerations.
• Access to the off-leash area is currently via Matron Porter Drive beach access tracks.

Full details of the current arrangements, including maps and times, are available on Council’s website and signage at the beach.

No. Current dog access arrangements at Narrawallee Beach will remain in place while the new REF is being prepared and considered by Council. 

Any future changes will only occur if Councillors resolve to adjust the current arrangements after:

• The new REF is complete
• Community engagement and public exhibition have occurred

All submissions and evidence have been considered.

If the REF identifies unacceptable environmental, social or safety impacts that cannot be reasonably managed, Council may decide not to proceed with some or all of the proposed adjustments.

Stakeholder and community feedback helps identify lived experience, values, and potential unintended consequences. It does not determine the outcome, but it is a key input alongside environmental evidence, safety, compliance and legislation.

Any decision will be made by Elected Councillors after they have considered:

• The REF findings
• Submissions received during public exhibition
• Relevant legislation and policy

Risks and mitigation options.

Council has engaged Becscomm, an external community engagement consultancy, to design and deliver the engagement program for this project.

Becscomm’s role is to:

• Explain the REF process in clear, accessible language
• Design and run the community questionnaire and engagement sessions
• Summarise community feedback in an Engagement Outcomes Report for Council to consider.

Council staff and Elected Councillors will not run the engagement activities, but they will receive and consider the outcomes.

Council has engaged Biosis, an external environmental consultancy, to prepare the new REF.

Biosis’s role is to:

• Assess environmental, social and recreational impacts
• Review relevant data and undertake site-based assessments where needed
• Recommend mitigation measures.

Biosis does not make the final decision about dog access. Their assessment is one important input into Council’s decision-making.

External engagement and environmental specialists have been engaged to ensure impartiality, transparency and specialist expertise in both the engagement and environmental assessment.

In early 2026 there will be opportunities for the community and stakeholders to participate in the process including an online questionnaire, stakeholder meetings, community engagement sessions and a public exhibition of the draft REF.

Details of engagement activities will be published on the project webpage and through Council communication channels.

Community feedback will help identify lived experience and community priorities and will inform the Council’s decision.

While community sentiment is important, Councillors must also consider environmental legislation, public safety obligations, and long-term coastal management responsibilities. These factors mean decisions cannot be made on a majority basis.

You may contact Councillors, however to ensure a fair and transparent process, only feedback provided through the official channels can be formally considered as part of the REF process. Feedback channels will include:

• The online questionnaire
• Community and stakeholder engagement sessions
• Formal submissions during the public exhibition.

Councillors may encourage you to use these channels so that your views can be properly recorded and considered alongside all other feedback.

Council understands that not everyone will agree with the outcome.

The aim of this process is to ensure that decisions are:

• Informed by clear evidence (through the REF)
• Guided by community priorities and feedback
• Compliant with environmental and planning legislation
• Transparent about how the decision was reached.

Even if you disagree with the final outcome, you will be able to see how community feedback and evidence were considered.

The REF will assess:

• The condition and safety of the stairs
• Erosion or vegetation impacts
• Proximity to sensitive habitat
• On-leash transition zones
• User movement patterns
• Whether additional management measures are needed

This helps ensure safe and environmentally responsible access.

Lighting and safety considerations form part of the REF assessment. This includes how frequently the stairs are used at night, the level of visibility, and any potential risks to beach users or wildlife. If required, the REF may recommend mitigation measures to manage any potential impacts.

Ranger deployment is managed by Council based on risk, complaint levels and available resources.

If access arrangements are adjusted, Council may review:

• The frequency and timing of patrols
• The focus of education and compliance activities
• Signage and other tools used to support compliance.

Any changes to enforcement approaches will be considered alongside the REF findings and community feedback.

Rangers help support safe and lawful use of the beach by:

• Conducting proactive patrols
• Responding to complaints and incidents
• Providing education and information to beach users

Monitoring during peak periods and high-use times.

Clear signage is a key part of ensuring all users understand the arrangements and can comply with them.

If adjustments to dog access arrangements are approved, Council will update beach signage, online information and maps and use communication channels to promote the changes.

Narrawallee Beach contains nationally significant habitat for migratory and threatened shorebirds, as well as sensitive dune and coastal systems. The REF will assess a range of environmental factors, including (but not limited to):

• Disturbance risks to feeding, roosting and nesting birds
• Seasonal sensitivity, particularly during migration and breeding periods
• Proximity of stair access points to important habitat
• The need for appropriate buffer zones
• Dune stability and coastal processes
• Vegetation health and trampling impacts
• Cumulative effects from recreation and dog activity

These assessments help ensure that any proposed adjustments to dog access are consistent with environmental legislation and protection requirements.

The new REF will use a range of information as part of the assessment to ensure a balanced, evidence-based outcome, including (but not limited to):

• Threatened species and migratory shorebird data
• Shorebird monitoring records
• Coastal process and dune stability assessments
• Ecological surveys
• Council’s coastal and GIS datasets
• Recreational use patterns
• Safety and access considerations
• Ranger compliance data
• Relevant legislative and policy requirements 
• On-site assessments.

Where data gaps exist, additional assessments may be undertaken.

Narrawallee Beach has been the focus of extensive community interest. The August 2025 Council resolution specifically directed that a new REF and engagement program be undertaken for Narrawallee Beach to assess proposed adjustments.

The current proposal relates only to the central section and specific access points. The REF must match the activity being proposed. Expanding the scope beyond the proposal would fall outside the purpose of this assessment unless specifically directed by Council.

24-hour off-leash access in the middle section of the beach is one of the options being assessed in the new REF. The REF must examine the potential impacts of this option so Council has the information it needs before making decision.

No. This process is focused on assessing specific proposed adjustments to the current arrangements, including:

• 24-hour off-leash access in the low season for the central section
• Additional on-leash access via Victor Avenue and Surfers Avenue stairs.

Previous decisions, including the 2024 REF and associated resolutions, remain part of the historical context, but this process will not reassess previous decisions.

The new REF and engagement program are funded from Council’s approved budget, following the resolution made in August 2025.

This funding covers:

• The environmental assessment (REF)
• Community and stakeholder engagement

Communication materials and reporting.

Information about the Narrawallee Beach dog access review, including timelines, FAQs and how to participate, is available on the Get Involved Shoalhaven project page.

Council’s Customer Service team can assist with general process questions and help direct you to the correct information.

There will be several opportunities for the community to have their say through formal feedback channels including an online questionnaire in February 2026 and stakeholder and community engagement sessions planned for February and March 2026.

There will be a formal submission period during the public exhibition of the draft REF. Details about how to make a submission will be published on the Council website.

To ensure a fair and transparent engagement process, feedback provided through these formal channels ensures it can be properly recorded and considered as part of the assessment.

Council officers are available to provide general information about the process, including how the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) works and how to participate.

To ensure fairness and consistency for all community members, Council officers are not able to discuss individual views, preferences or potential outcomes outside the formal process.

We’re now carrying out a new assessment that looks specifically at the proposed changes to the current dog access arrangements. To properly assess the proposed changes, we need feedback that relates to this proposal.

Your previous input has helped us understand the history and community interest in this area, but we still encourage you to share your views on the current proposal. 

The aim of the questionnaire is to understand community priorities and values. The questionnaire is not a vote and will not determine the outcome.

Councillors will make a decision after considering the REF, community engagement outcomes and legislative requirements.