By Christina Sirakoff

Following extensive community feedback and several petitions, Councillors voted up proposed new dog-off leash guidelines that do not reduce dog off-leash spaces and increase the times dog owners can access beaches in both Port Melbourne and Elwood. Overall, there is a net gain in dog off-leash areas.

Council voted unanimously for the Officers’ Recommendations for the following proposed changes:

• Three Premium sports ovals: SS Anderson (Pitch 1) at JL Murphy Reserve, Community Synthetic Ground (Pitch 3) at JL Murphy Reserve and North Port Oval are proposed to be dog prohibited areas, this would be offset by the following.
• Introducing fenced dog off-leash areas at three locations: Robinson Reserve in Elwood, Fennell Reserve in Port Melbourne and Howe Crescent Reserve West in South Melbourne.
• Update the summer times for dogs-off leash on the beach between Station Pier and Bay Street in Port Melbourne to 7.30pm - 10.00am.
• Change the summer times for dogs-off leash on the northern section of Elwood Beach between Point Ormond to the rock groyne in front of Elwood Angling Club, to 7.30pm – 10.00am.

Council officers will commence community engagement in early 2025 on the proposed changes to dog on and off-leash restrictions.

The Council has stated “there is no proposed reduction in dog off-leash spaces and that there is a proposed increase in times dogs can access beaches in Port Melbourne and Elwood.”

This was made public and published on CoPP website agenda papers on the 16 August 2024 prior to the Council meeting on 21 August 2024.

Finally, Council resolved to review the future use of Eastern Reserve North as a fenced dog off-leash area.  Following noise complaints from residents who live in close proximity to Eastern Reserve North, Council proposes to implement measures to mitigate these including:

• Programming the park lighting to be on from 7am until sunrise, and sunset until 7.30pm each day
• Trialling locking gates open between 7.30pm to 7am from 1 September 2024 to 31 March 2025; and   
• Prohibiting dog walking businesses from using the Reserve.

Council officers have been directed to improve education and enforcement and to make design enhancements to the Reserve.