The council has voted unanimously to increase off-leash dog areas following disciplined lobbying by the dog-owning community.
The key changes are in Elwood and Port Melbourne, namely:
Elwood Beach, between Point Ormond and the rock groyne in front of the Elwood Angling Club, will be a dog off-leash area between 7:30 PM and 10:00 AM the next day during summer (1 November to 31 March).
Fennell Reserve in Port Melbourne will become a dog off-leash area.
Port Melbourne Beach, between Station Pier and Bay Street, will be a dog off-leash area between 7:30 PM and 10:00 AM the next day during summer (1 November to 31 March).
Acknowledging the tension between sports and dog uses, the Community Synthetic Ground (Pitch 3) at JL Murphy Reserve will become a dog prohibited area.
Sniffing out more space
While there was much love in the room for four-legged locals, it was also clear that careful planning and consideration were needed before declaring more area off-leash for happy hounds.
In Elwood, suggestions that Robinson Reserve (the desolate triangle shaped park bordered by Marine Parade, Barkly Street, and Shelley Street in Elwood) could be fenced off to be a dog park failed to progress due to safety concerns related to traffic. In South Melbourne, Cr Jay reported that many residents expressed concern about Howe Crescent Reserve becoming an off-leash area.
On the other hand, there was talk of ANZAC Gardens in South Melbourne as a future place to consider for an off-leash area. There are also additional areas around Ormond Point in Elwood that could be considered.
But it’s an expensive endeavour. Council was told that the fencing around the Moran Reserve dog area cost $0.5M and that $1.5M had been set aside for dog park fencing in the budget.
The consensus is that as the population grows, so will the pet population, leading to increased demand for both off-leash areas and sports areas, as well as the need for passive open space for picnics or just relaxing with a book.
But on this day in August, as Cr. Makin declared in the meeting, ‘dogs rule in Port Melbourne.’
