Dog owners in a hinterland town are petitioning for a safer off-leash park, labelling the current designated area as “unsuitable”.
More than 600 people have signed a petition asking for Noosa Council to provide a dog park at Cooroy.
There is currently an off-leash dog area at Kauri Park, however residents say it is a kangaroo thoroughfare and close to homes and Cooroy’s main road.
The petition is asking councillors to consider finding a suitable location for a park, outlining the benefits such a facility would have on the wider community.
The petition states: “Dog ownership is very high in the Cooroy area and suitable places for training and running are not available.
“Dog parks not only benefit dogs, but also encourage exercise and socialising of dog owners.”
It also references a recent council crackdown on dog owners allowing their pets off-lead at the Cooroy sports grounds.
“At present, the incidence of off-lead dog walking and running, contrary to council rules, is very high, leading to the feeling that the needs of dog owners are not being met,” the petition states.
Cooroy resident Kay Thornton has helped put the petition together and told Sunshine Coast News that many dog owners had expressed their desire for a designated area.
“We want a fenced, safe area where people can go and let their dogs off their leads to socialise,” she said.
“Ideally, we want two areas: we want a small dog area and a big dog area.
“It’s great from a social aspect, not just for dogs but for people.
“When I’ve spoken to all the dog walkers that I see each morning they all ask when are we getting our dog park.”
An owner of two small dogs herself, the long-time Cooroy resident said the unofficial dog park on Kauri Street was not viable for the community.
“There’s an area that was supposedly designated as off-leash but it’s in an area where the land is really rough, it’s not fenced and there are busy roads on either side,” Ms Thornton said.
“It’s also a kangaroo thoroughfare. It’s totally unsuitable.”
The petition outlines suggestions for a potential dog park and off-leash area, based on the suggestions of Cooroy residents.
This includes the rugby field adjacent to Sportsground Parade, which could be made available for off-lead dogs limited to hours outside of sporting games and training.
Another suggestion has been made for a dog park behind the Cooroy Car Club on Mary River Road.
Ms Thornton said residents were hoping Noosa Council could provide some other options or recommendations.
“We’ve tried to speak to council but no one’s come up with a suggestion,” she said.
“We don’t know who owns what or who has leases over what, but we need a few things.
“We’d need it to be reasonably close to town so people could walk to it.
“We’d need hopefully some parking for those who need to drive there, and then fenced and safe.”
The petition with more than 400 signatures was received and referred to the chief executive officer to determine appropriate action at the council’s ordinary meeting in June.
A change.org petition, which currently has nearly 230 signatures, is continuing to garner support online.
Noosa Council local laws and environmental health manager Rob Smith said the council was currently reviewing the region’s off-leash dog parks.
“Council provides a number of areas where residents can exercise their dogs off-leash, including Kauri Park at Cooroy,” Mr Smith said.
“We’re currently reviewing all of Noosa’s existing off-leash dog areas to consider whether their designs, locations, facilities and accessibility are best meeting our shire’s needs.
“The review will inform our strategy for upgrades to existing facilities and the roll-out of potential new off-leash areas in the future.”
The aerial imagery in this story is from Australian location intelligence company Nearmap. The company provides government organisations, architectural, construction and engineering firms, and other companies with easy, instant access to high-resolution aerial imagery, city-scale 3D content, artificial intelligence data sets, and geospatial tools to assist with urban planning, monitoring and development projects in Australia, New Zealand and North America.
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