Dogs could soon be restricted to leashes across swathes of the Adelaide Parklands under new land management provisions being considered by Adelaide City Council.
Key points:
- Three different dog management zones are being considered for the Adelaide Parklands
- Dogs will be still be allowed across all of the Parklands but may need to be on a leash in large areas
- The proposal will go out to public consultation before any changes are adopted by Adelaide City Council
Mayor Sandy Verschoor said council complaints had led it to consider imposing three types of zones across the Parklands where dogs would either have to be on-leash at all times, within certain hours, or they could remain off-leash.
This includes Victoria Park — a favourite location for dog walkers — where they will be allowed off-leash in the southern end, but will need to be on-leash at the northern end near the grandstand and criterium track.
“What we’ve done is an assessment and had a look at a lot of factors that hadn’t been taken into account, such as the types of recreational people are undertaking, and whether cyclists or pedestrians are moving through, and where there’s wildlife,” Ms Verschoor told ABC Radio Adelaide.
“The riverbank will nearly all be on-leash, but there are parts along the riverbank where they can be off-leash as well.”
The different zones, which will include a zone where dogs must be on-leash between 10am and 6pm (or up to 8pm during daylight saving), encompass the Parklands in their entirety, but not the CBD where dogs are required on-leash at all times.
Playgrounds already restricted
Parklands Policy and Sustainability associate director Michelle English said the council’s Dogs By-Law 2018 stipulated that dogs already had to be on-leash where organised sport was being played, in an enclosed playground, or within five metres of playground equipment that was not in an enclosed area.
If the council wanted to declare changes to any other areas, it required a specific resolution.
“To date, no resolution has been made,” Ms English said.
This is provided the dogs are considered under control, meaning they are well-trained to come immediately when called and remain within their owner’s sight.
Five factors at play
A report from Tuesday night’s council meeting said the zones had been determined by five factors:
- The level and type of recreational activity
- Pedestrian and cyclist movements through the park
- Presence of wildlife
- Nearby depasturing or horse agistment
- The size of a park and its proximity to traffic
Ms English said the dog zones had been included in the council’s draft Community Land Management Plan General Provisions.
She said staff would give a further report to the council to consider in mid-April, and seek its approval to go out to public consultation.
“Following community consultation, any decision to implement any new on and/or off-leash area would need to go to the council for a decision,” Ms English said.
Changes to be signposted
Ms Verschoor said the different zones, if implemented, would be clearly signposted and maps made available through the council.
She said a lot of the restricted zones would be obvious, such as in university and high school grounds, the city’s biomedical precinct, horse paddocks and police barracks, and at West Terrace Cemetery.
Ms Verschoor said people could still walk their dogs across all of the Parklands, provided that, in on-leash zones, they were on a cord up to two metres long.
“The idea is that everybody gets to use the Parklands and everybody gets to use it for all the things they want,” she said.