You can take your dog to many public places, including some parks and beaches.

In places marked as off leash areas, your dog can run free. Note that you are still required to keep your dog under effective control while it is off leash.

Everywhere else, your dog needs to be on a lead and under the control of a responsible adult. This includes car parks, walking trails and footpaths.

There are some places where dogs are not allowed:

• Within 10 metres of a children’s play area
• Within 10 metres of an area where food is prepared or eaten, except at cafes or restaurants that allow dogs in outdoor dining areas
• School grounds
• Child care centres
• Rock platforms, ocean or rock pools and many beaches. See our Dog Beaches and Parks page for details.
• Wildlife protection areas
• Any public place that has a sign saying dogs are prohibited. This can include shopping centres, sportsgrounds, pools, parks and more.

You can be fined if your dog is off leash in an on leash only area, or is in a ‘dogs prohibited’ area, regardless of whether your dog is on or off leash.

When out with your dog, pick up the poo! You must clean up any mess or damage caused by your dog. We provide dog poo bags on most Council bins for public use.