22 February, 2023
Tighter leash on dog-accessible parks denied
A move proposed at a Toowoomba Regional Council meeting last week which would have seen dogs prohibited from eleven public parks was voted down by Councillors.
In March 2022, Council considered a proposal to make changes to the Register - Prohibition and Restriction of Animals in Public Places (the Register) through the inclusion of 11 additional bushland parks.
The 11 bushland parks are Mount Peel Park (Drayton), Jubilee Park (Mount Lofty), Redwood Park (Redwood), Table Top Bushland Reserve (Rangeville), McKnight Park (Rangeville), Barry Griffiths Park (Rangeville), Flagstone Creek Park (Middle Ridge), Glen Lomond Park (Middle Ridge), Ruthven Street South Reserve (Kearneys Spring), Cranley Park (Cranley) and Highfields Falls Park
(Highfields).
On its website, TRC already advises that pets not be taken to Mount Peel Bushland Park as they “can have a great impact on native animals and native vegetation.”
A 21-day public consultation period between 16 July 2022 and 6 August 2022 saw four properly made submissions.
All four submissions opposed the proposed prohibition of dogs.
The reason for the recommendation is: To provide more areas across the Toowoomba Region where dogs are prohibited/restricted, to the benefit of the greater community and local flora and fauna, whilst maintaining the ability for residents to walk their dogs “on-leash” through smaller urban bushland parks.
Currently Council prohibits dogs from Lake Cooby, Lake Perseverance, Lake Cressbrook and Toowoomba Bicentennial Waterbird Habitat.
Since the survey regarding Dogs in Public Places was completed in June 2021 Council has received eight reports of specific incidents where native wildlife (two snakes, two goannas, one wallaby and three koalas) has been killed in Redwood Park where the nature of the injuries and location of attacks indicates domestic dogs (either “off- leash” or wandering) were responsible.
This is thought likely to be an under estimation of such incidents and reflective of similar impacts in all bushland areas.
Additionally Council has received two complaints from other users of bushland areas who were attacked by dogs let off-leash by their owners whilst walking in bushland
parks.
An alternate motion, moved by Cr Nancy Sommerfield and seconded by Cr Tim McMahon, proposed that Council should not add the eleven parks to the banned list.
The motion proposed for signage to be erected at the entrances to the eleven parks that say dogs are to be on
a leash at all times and to increase monitoring, with those in breach to be issued with a Penalty Infringement Notice.
TRC held a survey in 2021 aimed at better understanding community views on dogs in outdoor places which received 682 responses.
The vast majority of responses were from people who have or have had dogs.
The survey found the most popular park among dog owners is Picnic Point and thus it is not included among the parks where dogs may be restricted.
