Have Your Say on the Access Areas for Dogs Policy
Thank you for your input. Community consultation is now closed.
Shoalhaven’s Access Areas for Dogs Policy has been revised to better manage dog access areas in line with community expectations, environmental considerations and relevant legislation.
Everyone is invited to have their say about the proposed draft policy by completing a short ONLINE SURVEY.
The Access Areas for Dogs Policy outlines the processes for deciding where dogs can and cannot go in the Shoalhaven, including where they are permitted to be off leash in accordance with state and federal legislation.
The draft policy will be on exhibition for 6 weeks from 1 May until 11 June 2023.
Background
By law, dogs are required to be on-leash when in a public place in Shoalhaven unless in a designated off-leash area or dog-prohibited area.
The Access Areas for Dogs Policy regulates where dogs are allowed to be off-leash and dog-prohibited areas defined by Council, in accordance with the Companion Animals Act 1998 (NSW) and other relevant legislation.
Community Consultation
Community consultation was undertaken in 2021, as one of the first steps in the policy review process. Nearly 1,400 people responded to the survey and many more submitted detailed written feedback.
The draft policy has been developed based on feedback received in 2021 and further investigations undertaken by Council staff.
What is wrong with the existing Dogs Policy?
The Access Areas for Dogs Policy needs to be updated to allow Council to manage dog access in line with community expectations and legal requirements.
What’s changed?
- To minimise confusion, terminology used within the proposed policy has been brought into line with terminology used in other relevant legislation (law).
- The existing policy includes a ‘static’ list of all off-leash and dog-prohibited areas defined by Council. This means new off-leash sites are only able to be considered during policy reviews (typically every four years).
- The list of off-leash and dog-prohibited sites has been removed and replaced with a set of provisions defining how Council will designate (process and determine) ‘off-leash’ and ‘dog-prohibited’ areas (ref. s3.7 & s3.8 of the draft policy).
- A list of off-leash and dog-prohibited sites will be maintained and made publicly available via Council’s website, guideline materials, and other channels.
- The proposed policy will enable Council to manage issues that may arise in off-leash or dog-prohibited areas, such as: shorebird nesting; biodiversity loss; and social and cultural matters (such as Indigenous heritage or conflicts arising from high-use). This approach is known as ‘adaptive management’, and will allow Council to be responsive to changes in conditions as they arise.
- Off-leash and dog-prohibited areas will be determined in accordance the proposed policy (including s3.8, which outlines what steps will be taken to facilitate public scrutiny and transparency).
- We’ve worked hard to develop a clear policy statement and clear objectives for the policy. This will provide clarity to all stakeholders about outcomes Council is seeking to achieve under the policy. The policy statement and objectives have been carefully calibrated in accordance with relevant legislation (law).
- A classification system has been established to clearly define three types of dog access areas in public places. The system is based on easily recognised conventions used in traffic lights (red, orange, and green).
- Signage and guidelines will be developed using the ‘traffic light’ system; RED for dog-prohibited areas, ORANGE for dog on-leash areas, and GREEN for off-leash areas.
