Dog lovers Gary Colman, Alana Strang, Leah Seater and Di Fitzgerald enjoy playing in the sand pit with their pooches.
Photo by
Ian Johnson
Dot Colman wants nothing more than a safe place for people to walk their dogs off-leash and give them the happiness they deserve while not breaking council by-laws.
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She said friendship groups form all the time at dog parks, which are necessary because they’re not just about happy dogs, but also happy people.
In a heavily debated meeting last week, Federation Council endorsed a draft dog off-leash management plan for public exhibition as part of its 2025/26 operational plan to address future off-leash area requirements.
Only Councillor David Bott voted against the motion.
Cr Bott questioned the necessity of the plan, saying there were other issues Council was facing that were of greater concern.
He said he didn’t disagree with Cr Wearne in terms of the social benefit dog parks bring, but he wasn’t convinced it was necessary at this time.
Cr Derek Schoen described dog parks as a “ridiculous waste of money” and one of several areas where Council could save money to put into roads.
Others disagreed.
Beryl Threlfall and Jazz take advantage of the agility park at the Corowa off-leash dog area.
Photo by
Ian Johnson
Cr Susan Wearne said off-leash areas were important because not everyone had access to large rural spaces to let their dogs run free.
She noted that people in the community used council resources, like parks and swimming pools, for recreation and socialisation.
“We have 6,000 residents in our community who pay rates and they want to see these services stay,” Cr Wearne said.
“They want them kept in a suitable manner to allow them the opportunity for socialisation ... these strategies are important to our community.
“We’re not just here for roads and rates; they’re a high priority, but parks are also services that belong to a community.”
Corowa Dog Lovers president Sarah Lavis said designated areas were needed because simply taking your dog “down the road” to walk off-leash in a public place is illegal.
“We’re trying to duplicate what’s been done in other areas without impacting ratepayers,” Sarah said.
“There’s a high retirement and elderly population here and a lot of people can't walk their dogs on a lead.
“They want somewhere they can go where they’re not restricted by their mobility.
“They can socialize while they're here, their dogs can socialize, and they feel safe.
“Everything from Council has come from their reclaim yard; the seating, mulch, logs and rocks all came from old projects, so there’s been no cost to them.
“Everything from Council has come from their reclaim yard; the seating, mulch, logs and rocks all came from old projects, so there’s been no cost to them.
“All funding has come from grants and donations.”
Shadow takes advantage of the agility park at Corowa off-leash dog area.
Planning Director Susan Appleyard said the community wanted these areas in their towns and it was a requirement for councils to provide a management plan under the Companion Animals Act.
“This is a dog off-leash management strategy, not a development plan,” Ms Appleyard said.
“What you see has come from the Corowa Dog Lovers; that’s what they’d like to see there in the future.
“It’s clear there are limited funds available, so the community will have to step forward if that’s what they want for their dogs in our community.”
Deputy mayor, Rowena Black said having a plan ensured that when opportunities arose, a framework was already in place.
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