Wollongong City Council has adopted the Dogs on Beaches and Parks Policy, finalising the policy for all city beaches.
Council endorsed the Dogs on Beaches and Parks Policy in September 2010 with the exception of McCauley’s Beach, East Corrimal Beach and a section of Woonona Beach, where additional community consultation was required.
The Council considered a report at its 27 April meeting on those three areas recommending that the section of Woonona Beach (between Liamina Avenue and Dorrigo Avenue) be classified as a orange zone which allows timed access consistent with the remainder of Woonona Beach and both McCauley’s Beach and East Corrimal Beach (from Bellambi Point to car park at east Corrimal) be retained as off-leash (green) zones.
The Council also resolved to prepare Plans of Management for McCauley’s and East Corrimal beaches taking into consideration the outcomes of the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) and the issues raised by the Aboriginal community.
Council will also provide additional signage to support the changes to those beaches listed above.
Council’s Dogs and Beaches Policy now includes three zones: green zone, off leash; orange zone, timed access; and red zone, banned.
This zone system was one of the outcomes of the extensive community consultation Council conducted prior to the original report being considered by Council.
Administrator Robert McGregor AM said the three tier approach (as in traffic lights) has been chosen as it is a suitable, easily understood way to explain the three levels of access provided for the community along the foreshore and beaches. “This approach enables a diagrammatic view of the access provisions along our coast.” Mr McGregor said. “The green areas are off leash, the orange areas allow time share access and the red areas are dog prohibited (banned) areas.”
The second round of community consultation concerning the three beaches received 531 submissions and eight petitions from the community.
For more information on the new policy, visit Council’s website www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au.