HARSH restrictions for dog walkers on timeshare Eurobodalla Beaches start tomorrow

Dear fellow dog owners/supporters, Well, that time of year has arrived again. Tomorow is the beginning of SIX VERY LONG months of HARSH restrictions on timeshared Eurobodalla beaches again. That means you cannot take your dog to a "timeshared" beach at the Eurobodalla Coast, between 9am and 5pm from 1st November to 30th April. This is over the top and totally unnecessary when we ALL know that beaches at the Eurobodalla are not busy outside of school holidays. If you have had a gut full of the unnecessary over-regulation, just want the ability to walk your dog without time restriction, and think restrictions should ONLY apply during school holidays, you MUST write to the Mayor and Councillors pleading your case. The Council are now saying they won't accept this electronic petition because it does not have physical signatures on it with addresses. In 2017, all I can say is "What a load of BS". Have your say! Send an email to the following email addresses, DEMANDING that they change the restrictions for dogs on timeshared beaches so that they only apply during school holidays! Make sure you include your own personal story about WHY this matters to you and include your surburb and postcode. Here is a sample letter for you to cut/paste/modify/send. ___________________________________ clranthony.mayne@esc.nsw.gov.au; clrphil.constable@esc.nsw.gov.au ; clrpatrick.mcginlay@esc.nsw.gov.au; clrmaureen.nathan@esc.nsw.gov.au; clrrob.pollock@esc.nsw.gov.au; clrjack.tait@esc.nsw.gov.au; clrlindsay.brown@esc.nsw.gov.au; clrjames.thomson@esc.nsw.gov.au; mayor@esc.nsw.gov.au; Dear ESC Mayor and Councillors. I wish to make a submission to the Companion Animals Management Plan and the Recreational Open Space Strategy. I ask that the Eurobodalla Council change the restrictions on timeshare beaches so that the they apply ONLY in summer school holidays (ie December and January). I fully support dogs under the owners full control at all times, both on or of leash. I also fully support tougher rules (if necessary) for dog owners who do not pick up after their dogs. I noticed that the Recreational and Open Space Stratetgy (ROSS) found the following: • P99. The third highest barrier to using open spaces in the Eurobodalla was “visitors cannot take their dogs. • P177. 50.7% of respondents value a place to exercise and 35.7% valued being able to take their dog to open spaces. • P176. 42.7% of people said they take their dog when they visit an open space • P175. 83.4% of people said they recreate or play sport at the beach. • P174. 67.1% of people participate in walking in open spaces • P10. Interestingly, places to take one’s dog was consistently mentioned throughout the community engagement process. One in three respondents liked that they could take their dog with them when visiting open space, while a quarter said that there were limited places to take their dog. This trend remained consistent across most planning areas. Attendees at the workshops believed that there should be more dog-friendly places, however, many were in disagreement if they should be fenced, unfenced, off-leash and/or on-leash. Support for Council’s timeshare was also divided. I am astonished and extremely disappointed that this strategy author seems to have failed to join the dots given these statistical findings by consultants. I noticed there are NO priority actions reflecting the above even though it is very clear that people of the Eurobodalla want increased opportunity to walk their dogs on the beach. This MUST change to truly reflect the wishes of the people, as reflected in the research and workshops. Relaxing the current restrictions is important to me because......INSERT YOUR REASONS HERE. Please honour the responsible dog owners of the Eurobodalla by modifying the timeshare restrictions dates so that they ONLY apply during true peaks usage times of December and January. Kind regards Your name Suburb and Postcode