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Dog Off-Leash Feedback to be considered by Council

Potential dog off-leash areas at beaches in Kilcunda and Cape Paterson

By Portal Admin - 10th June 2018 - Back to News

Bass Coast Shire Council have analysed the recently completed surveys and feedback relating to potential dog off-leash areas at beaches in Kilcunda and Cape Paterson.

Council Officers will use the survey results to make recommendations on the level of community support for off-leash beach areas in Cape Paterson and Kilcunda. The results are currently available on Councils website and will be considered by Council its June 2018 Ordinary Meeting.

The community consultation was initiated due to feedback gathered during the development of Council's Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAMP) 2017-21, which identified that the community wanted Council to work with land managers to continue to find dog off-leash beach areas within the municipality.

Council worked with Parks Victoria to identify potential off-leash dog walking areas on Council managed beaches in Cape Paterson and Kilcunda. These options were presented to the community for feedback during a consultation process over summer which involved online and printed surveys and in person conversations at community events in both towns.

Council will use the feedback to determine if relevant Orders should be put in place to recognise the off-leash areas, which would then require appropriate signage installed and any proposed changes communicated to the community.

The proposed locations discussed during the consultation are:

Cape Paterson

• 1st Surf Beach - From Whale Rock approximately 250m east towards the Channel
• Boat Ramp Beach - From below the carpark approximately 120m east towards the Bay Beach

Kilcunda

• Main Beach - From below the caravan park west approximately 150m west towards the rocks
• Shelly Beach - All of Shelly Beach, approximately 220m

Currently, there are no off-leash beach areas in Cape Paterson or Kilcunda. In Cape Paterson dogs are allowed on-leash on the beach except between 9.00am – 6.00pm from 1 December - 14 April when no dogs are allowed.

Currently in Kilcunda, dogs are allowed on-leash on the beach throughout the year.

Survey Results - Cape Paterson

A total of 304 responses were received. The following table provides an overall summary of key survey results.



Survey Results – Kilcunda

A total of 76 responses were received. The following table provides an overall summary of key survey results.



Two hundred and three (203) individual comments were made within the Cape Paterson survey’s open-ended comment field and 39 individual comments were made for Kilcunda.

These comments were coded and categorised according to themes. Some feedback showed a desire for increased enforcement of regulations on beaches. Respondents identified that some dog owners are not always following the regulations and dogs are not always under effective control when off-leash.

Specifically for Kilcunda there were a number of respondents who did not want Shelly Beach in Kilcunda to be an off-leash area identifying that it was a space used by young families and had additional environmental values that should be protected.

An overview of the survey results are now available on Council’s website www.basscoast.vic.gov.au/offleashsurvey with the results to be presented to Council as part of a Council report for consideration in June 2018. For more information please contact Council’s Community Safety Team on 1300 226 278 (BCOAST).

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: support@gippsland.com