Thank you for supporting this petition. The upcoming Council meeting on Tuesday, 12th December includes four motions related to dogs, one of which clearly aims to ban dogs from sports fields at Bob Campbell Oval (BCO) in the future. You can view the agenda HERE.
Overview of the Motions:
Motion 2.1 - Proposed by Councillors: Katie Little, David Roenfeldt, Caleb Taylor, Scott Bennison.
This motion seeks to:
- Retain the fenced dog park at BCO.
- Initiate a 12-month trial of the enclosed area.
- Delegate authority to the General Manager to manage the site, prioritising the condition of the sports field.
While framed as a compromise, this motion clearly prioritises maintaining the field for sports players over shared community use. It paves the way for banning dogs entirely from the sports field in the future.
Key points in the motion are misleading:
- Bushland concerns: Claims dogs will harm bushland without a fenced park. However, many off-leash parks in Lane Cove are not fenced, and bushland remained unharmed.
- Psychosocial harm to staff: Alleges staff are impacted by changes to the BCO master plan. In reality, there have been only 3 changes since Jan 2022:
- Cancelling synthetic turf.
- Approving the revised master plan following extensive community consultation.
- An additional adjustment suggested by council staff in February 2024 which significantly changed the original masterplan and added the fenced dog park due to Council concerns about maintaining the natural turf, ‘Maintaining the natural turf sports field to the highest standard consummate with the money that has been invested, whilst dogs are allowed off-leash on the field, will not be possible.’ (From 2024 Council Report) - the inclusion of a dog park was thinly veiled as a ‘cost saving measure’ however it was strongly opposed by the community and if cost saving had been the real motivation they could have left the space empty as suggested by the community.
This motion is not supportive of dog owners, despite retaining the fenced area. It clearly shows a long term intent by some councillors to ban dogs from the sports field entirely as they believe that the condition of the sports field is more important than allowing the 7000+ dog owning rate paying members of the community access to this open space. Do not be fooled that by suggesting retaining the dog park they are in any way supportive of dog owners.
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Motion 2.2 - Proposed by Councillors: Kathy Bryla, Bridget Kennedy, Merri Southwood, Helena Greenwell, Rochelle Flood.
Unlike many other local councils that have proactively educated their pet owners, Lane Cove Council has yet to consistently act on the recommendations from its own Dog Strategy and Dog Advisory Committee by implementing education for pet owners. Despite claims about the impact of dogs on sports fields, no meaningful education initiatives have been implemented to address these concerns. The motion seeks to ensure that an education program is finally introduced, helping to mitigate conflicts and promote respectful use of shared spaces.
This motion prioritises the interests of all community members, including sports players, to create a more harmonious and inclusive environment.
How You Can Help save our shared spaces:
- Speak at the Public Forum (Most helpful!)
Attend online (via Zoom) or in person to share your views. Even speaking for a few minutes can make a significant impact.
Deadline to register: Wednesday, 11th December, 11:59 PM. - Email Councillors Directly
Share your support or opposition to these motions by emailing the councillors.
Relevant email addresses:
sbennison@lanecove.nsw.gov.au
ctaylor@lanecove.nsw.gov.au
klittle@lanecove.nsw.gov.au
droenfeldt@lanecove.nsw.gov.au
kbryla@lanecove.nsw.gov.au
bkennedy@lanecove.nsw.gov.au
hgreenwell@lanecove.nsw.gov.au
msouthwood@lanecove.nsw.gov.au
rflood@lanecove.nsw.gov.au - Join the Dog Advisory Committee - HERE
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your voice matters!