Dogs on beaches

Council received 870 submissions from the community about the Dogs on Beaches Discussion Paper..

Council is now carefully reviewing the submissions and undertaking a Review of Environmental Factors to further asses the impact of the policy on local fauna, flora and heritage.

The environmental review is expected to be complete in December and Council will make a final decision on its approach to managing dogs on beaches early in the New Year

Community feedback collected during the exhibition made it very clear residents want dog owners to be responsible.

This summer residents are urged to follow the existing rules for dogs on beaches. That means dogs are banned from all rock pools and beaches expect seven off leash beaches at Bellambi Boat Ramp, Coniston Beach, Little Austinmer Beach, McCauleys Beach, MM Beach, Perkins Beach and Sharkeys Beach.

Owners must always have effective control of their dog in off leash areas and must remove all dog droppings. If you don’t follow the rules and pick up after your dog you can face a $275 fine.

A copy of the Dogs on Beaches discussion  paper and related maps are available on the right under related documents.
 
To view Council's current off leash area policy (for both beaches and parks) please visit our off leash areas webpage. The off leash areas listed on this webpage are still applicable and residents should abide by the current policy.