📢 Sign the Petition to Reinstate Merv Lynch Reserve Dog Park of its Unfair Closure!

Georges River Council has made the unjust decision to remove Merv Lynch Reserve Dog Park in Beverly Hills, despite overwhelming community support to keep it. This decision is based on false claims, selective enforcement, and a failure to engage with the public fairly.

🚨 Why This Closure is Unfair

- The community has been unfairly villainised by council with nil evidence,
- The community was never properly consulted. While council claims to have sought feedback, the decision ignores the majority of residents who support keeping the park.
- Falsified complaints from a small group of neighbours have been taken at face value, while evidence from regular park users has been ignored.
- Before the council elections, councillors engaged with us—but after securing votes, they have refused to hear us out.
- The council bundled multiple dog parks into one agenda item, making it impossible for Merv Lynch to get proper representation in meetings.

🔥 The Truth About Their False Justifications

❌ “The park causes community conflict”
➡️ The park was used peacefully for months before a small group of entitled neighbours began making complaints.
➡️ Some of these neighbours openly admitted they want the park gone because they saw it as their “backyard.”
➡️ Park users have only ever responded defensively to abuse, such as being yelled at to “shut up” simply for being there.

❌ “Noise complaints make the park unsuitable”
➡️ The park is next to a children’s playground, where kids scream and parents call out. This is normal in a public space.
➡️ I live next to both the dog park and the playground and have never had an issue.
➡️ Claims of dogs kicking balls against fences are completely false—our dogs are more interested in wrestling, sniffing and eating.
➡️ Fireworks? Dogs hate fireworks. No responsible dog owner would set them off.

❌ “There are 10 other dog parks in the area”
➡️ The council originally built this park because our ward had none.
➡️ The closest alternative is a 20-minute round trip, which is not practical for working people, parents, or apartment residents with no yards.

🐾 Why This Park is Vital for Our Community

✅ It has built a strong and supportive community—many of us didn’t know our neighbours before this park existed.
✅ It improves safety—knowing our neighbours means we feel safer walking our dogs, even at night.
✅ It benefits apartment residents, who rely on this space since they have no private yards.
✅ It promotes mental health, providing a space for socialization and exercise.

📢 What We Want

We demand that Georges River Council reverse this unjust decision and:

- Conduct a fair and transparent review that includes proper consultation with park users.
- Reject the baseless complaints from a small group of neighbours who want to reclaim public land for themselves.
- Stop selectively enforcing rules based on who complains the loudest.
This is not just about a dog park—this is about a local council ignoring its own community and making decisions based on misinformation.

✍️ Sign & Share Now!
If we don’t act now, this valued community space will be lost forever. Let’s stand up against council bias and fight for what is right!

🐶 Sign the petition & share with your friends! 🐶