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Dogs to be Fenced-Off from Playing Fields

11/9/2013

Update: At the Council meeting on Monday 9/9/13, following major protests by dog owners, a five month 'cooling-off' period was agreed to and a working party is to be established to address this issue.

It's been an ongoing issue for years - the users of the playing fields vs dog owners at LMGraham Reserve at Fairlight.

Following ongoing complaints about dog poo on the fields and kids getting covered in it during matches, the Council has stepped in to create a designated area for dogs by fencing off an area in the Reserve for dogs.

Council’s planned area will be bounded along Kenneth Road and measures 130mtrs x 20mtrs. = 2,600 square metres for dog off leash area as a dog designated exercise area. See map below.

The new fencing will cost $25,000 and contractors are expected to get working next week erecting it. Included in the area will be a tap for dogs water, a bin for the bags, and a park bench seat under the trees will be installed.

Other off-leash dog areas in Manly are at: Seaforth Oval, Tania Park, North Harbour Reserve, Manly Cemetery and Manly Lagoon Park

14 Comments

Digby

3/9/2013 04:48:59 am

when did the full council decide on this policy? it appears to me that the Council has consulted with some users (sporting groups) and not others (dog owners)

Deborah link

3/9/2013 04:50:49 am

If dog owners were more responsible, Council presumably wouldn't have to wear this expense. I've played football on all these pitches, and the conditions are disgusting. Do dog owners not understand there are serious health issues with dog excrement and children?

John

3/9/2013 05:08:09 am

Deborah, of course dog owners realize this. And the issue is not as severe as all the sporting people would make out. I am down there often, what spare droppings i do see, I pick up. As do most. Many of the sporting families enjoy the park with their dogs while the sport is on. The logical solution is to separate the dogs while sport is on and leave it as off lead for the rest of the time. It is not right that one group that uses the space less than 50% of the time would dictate to the rest of the population how public space would be used. And believe me, there is significant impact from the sport on the space too. We all live in a VERY densely populated area and we ALL need to make an effort. As usual, it comes down to my way or the highway for most.

Linda

3/9/2013 05:21:47 am

Well said John.

When do us dog owners get to have a say and complain about the litter and rubbish that our dogs pick up from the kids that think its OK to throw it on the floor?

We are rate payers aswell and we have as much right to have a space that we can exercise our dogs. There are so very many places we cannot take dogs with the freedom to run and play and now council want to take this one away aswell.

Hania norman

3/9/2013 06:13:49 am

Deborah, dog owners pay more to council then clubs who are not in council area do, the one or two dog poo, a rep of your team could go around and sort out as the dog owners do after you, when the teams leaving broken bottles, plastic bottles, mac ca bags and other food rubbish and waste rubbish, tape, clothes and cigarette butts and more, a lot more rubbish then one poo or so, and if a kid did slip in a rare poo he or she could win as other kids would let them score, the sports clubs have blown all out of proportion and many dogs the sports clubs bring DO THE POOS not the responsible manly rate payers

Ryan

3/9/2013 06:19:22 am

Deb,
You may not know that dog poo is biodegradable, but the sports-drink / beer bottles, sports wrapping tape, tetra-juice packs etc your sporting groups leave behind are not. Please cite the last time you are personally aware of any person you know of who actually became seriously ill as a direct result of coming into contact with dog poo? (it may be an inconvenience, but your assertion that it is dangerous is most fanciful & without scientific basis). Please name the person in your footy club who became ill from contact with dog poo & provide appropriate medical certification to that effect showing an irrefutable causative link.
You may wish to rethink your position on this.

Cate link

3/9/2013 05:18:59 am

As a dog owner, this is an extreme and very unfair action. There is no compromise at all in this solution. There are 1000's of registered dogs in Manly, probably far more than soccer players.

Why are our rights as rate paying dog owners worth so much less than those of the sporting clubs. No consultation was made, we were offered no opportunity to put forward alternative solutions.

In the past 3 months the dog owners who use Graham Reserve have been far more vigilant about picking up after themselves or others. In fact it is often us picking up enormous amounts of garbage left by the soccer crowds on Saturday afternoons.

Has the council considered the impact of under exercised / under stimulated dogs for the community?

Really low blow, and I hope we get a dedicated dog park in compensation for this.

3/9/2013 06:05:44 am

Dog owners can inform council that from an animal behaviour perspective, forcing large numbers of dogs into close proximity with one another with no opportunity to create necessary distance as needed could result in situational aggression that would immediately be alleviated if those controlling dogs had the opportunity to simply move to another part of the park.
We are sure council understands that not all dogs are “dog-social” & responsible owners will naturally mitigate this if they can. The confined space council has proposed will remove a dog-walkers ability to do this.
We implore Manly Council to shelve any current plans to reduce offleash space at LM Graham Reserve until proper & adequate consultation (& agreement) has occurred with not just local ratepayers, but specifically the dog-owning community that frequent the park, daily. We would be very concerned to hear that the needs of local ratepayers were considered secondary to the concerns of out-of-area sporting groups.
What most of us object to is the sporting clubs reserving space for themselves when they are not even using it, thus council has effectively allowed them to "buy" the entire public space & control / dictate who uses it for the cost of whatever fee they are paying to use it on a Saturday / Sunday & one or two training sessions during the week (seems like a suspiciously good deal / value?).
Their dollar certainly stretches unusually (suspiciously) far!

Frank

3/9/2013 06:59:32 am

So my dog can shit on a grave but not on a patch of grass?

Shane

3/9/2013 07:02:03 am

Anyone who things dogs are the issue with leaving the sports fields in a poor state are sadly mistaken. Has anyone had a look at the state of the fields throughout football season. Check where all the dead grass is by each goal and look at the trash, booze and mess left on the sideline.

Scott

3/9/2013 07:42:35 am

Tania Park and Seaforth Oval are also both host sporting events, what's the difference? Or does the council plan on restricting dogs at those sites as well?

Kylie

3/9/2013 12:41:08 pm

Deeply disappointing. As a home owner in the area, this off leash dog park has provided many hours of enjoyment with my family and dog. Many families will have their quality of life diminished by this overly dramatic and rash decision. Sadly, an example of misled power abuse.

Carol

4/9/2013 01:47:17 am

So people who use (monopolise) this area on the weekends during winter get to restrict dogs the whole time? Has council calculated who actually uses this area most? Dogs and their owners are there 365 days a year, during every daylight hour. How come we don't count?

And the idea that this is mixed use and we can all share doesn't seem to be followed by the sports crowds, who are supposed to leave the small area by the daycare centre (where the tennis courts used to be) for dogs to use when they've got they're using the whole of the rest of the area, aren't they? Yet they set up kiddie nets here as well, effetively using every space and allowing no room for others.

And as for the litter the sports crowds leave behind... Why does council think it's reasonable to spend money to clean up after them?

Irresponsible dog owners drive us all crazy - let's find a way to deal with the actual problem rather than a knee-jerk ban (which it might as well be, installing a silly cage). But that might require council to actuall consult with people...

ryan

4/9/2013 02:18:39 am

Good post, Carol. Your first paragraph is a question i would very dearly love to know, too...

Dogs to be Fenced-Off from Playing Fields

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