This petition is asking Banyule City Council to urgently create spaces in Rosanna Parklands so that people without dogs, people with dogs on-leads, people with dogs off-lead and local wildlife can all feel safe and enjoy the parklands.

My name is Greta and I am writing this on behalf of myself and other individuals and families with young children. Some are dog owners, some are not. Rosanna Parklands is a neighbourhood park that we love to visit whenever we can. There we enjoy having picnics with friends; walking the circuit; flying kites; exploring all the amazing nooks and wildlife and using the play equipment.

It has become such a haven for so many during the COVID-19 pandemic, a magical bushlands in the suburbs. That said, there is one thing that has made it increasingly less enjoyable over the last while, and that has been the unsolicited boundary crossing of wayward off-lead dogs. 

Dogs estranged from their owners sniffing around food; jumping on the picnic tables eating food; coming up to our 4 year old before he knows they are safe; sniffing around our baby before I know they are safe.  I have a neighbour who can no longer visit Rosanna Parklands, even though it is their closest park, because their child has become so afraid of the unwanted attention of off-lead dogs. 

Humans are not the only ones upset by casually supervised off-lead dogs. Many anxious on-lead dogs use the parklands for exercise and it can be nerve-wracking for them and their owners when off-lead dogs come up to them without invitation. It can also be stressful for birds and other wildlife to be chased by off-lead dogs. 

Online reviews of the parklands reflect these concerns. 

I contacted Banyule City Council asking them to help with a solution for all. 

Council weren't able to offer a solution at this time (see response below), but they were able to tell us what we have to work with.  So let's work with what we have got.

In order to create a more inclusive parklands, we are proposing that Banyule City Council create 2 zones. A dog on-lead area (including the central playground picnic area and the wildlife conservation areas) and an off-lead area. One idea would be to have the zones separated by the creek with minimal signage at park and zone entrance points.

If you have any zoning ideas, we welcome comments below when you sign. 

Thank you!

Greta

 

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Response from council:

 

Dog owners are required to comply with Councils’ municipal law at all times in Rosanna Parklands which means that the standard dog laws apply. Banyule’s municipal law requires that dogs:

Must be on lead within:
Streets, roads and car parks;
Five metres of a designated shared footway (bike and/or pedestrian path).
Are not allowed in or within five metres of children's playgrounds or public BBQs for health/safety reasons.
They are however permitted off-lead in Council parks unless specifically signed
Dogs must always be kept under effective control. 
 

We have spoken to our local laws team in relation to your concerns at Rosanna Parklands. Unfortunately it is very difficult for them to enforce these kinds of incidents. In 2022 Council will be reviewing the Council Order/Local Law. This will provide an opportunity to revisit these local laws which will hopefully enable our team on the ground to better enforce in instances like you have described.

 

Regarding a fence around the playground. Fencing around playgrounds is not the preferred way of dealing with dog behaviour. There are some examples of fenced playgrounds in Banyule however these are generally for larger “regional” playgrounds.  Play Australia, the peak national advocacy organisation for PLAY, discourages fencing around playgrounds. Reasons include:

They can discourage supervision
Adults can bring dogs into the play area regardless of the provision or not of fences.
Gates are left open
Dogs can be tied up inside fences,
 

With Regard to a dedicated dog off lead park, our Public Open Space Plan has five sites designated for off-lead dog parks. Rosanna Parklands is not one of these sites.

 

Both playgrounds within the parklands are currently scheduled for renewal from 2027-2030 which is subject to change due to maintenance requirements and other factors. When designing the upgrades we will look holistically at the spaces and how we can improve to avoid interactions with dogs where possible.