UPDATE:  The revised DIOSAP is open for Public Submissions until 1st Oct 2023

Central Coast Council have NOT made it clear that the ONLY option for an Off Leash Area at The Haven is for a Fenced-OLA.

They imply in question three that safety issues may be addressed at Terrigal Haven therefore Wiles Avenue OLA may not be required.

Therefore if respondents to the Survey do not agree to the Second question ie: exploration of fencing options to create a FOLA, then the default is automatically On-Leash only at the Haven

Firstly: Do you agree with decommissioning of OLA and conversion to on-leash. 

Yes, No, Unsure, N/A

 

Secondly: Exploration of fencing options to create a FOLA

Yes, No, Unsure, N/A

Thirdly: Investigation of additional OLA at Wiles Ave Wamberal ( as replacement for The Haven should Safety issues not be resolved)

Yes, No, Unsure, N/A

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE: Central Coast Council have met over this issue and have conceded to add a New Resolution to the Draft Central Coast Dogs in Open Space Action Plan ( DIOSAP)

Council “Resolved in Part

that Council:

Prepares an option for developing a fenced off-leash area at the Terrigal Haven, and publicly exhibit this option alongside the revised draft Central Coast Dogs in Open Space Action Plan 2023-2033 for not less than 28 days. The option must include information on funding, aesthetics and other impacts. The community’s feedback on this option should be included in the further report. “

Public Exhibition requesting feedback on this option (and the entire DIOSAP) will be via yourvoiceourcoast.com 

NOW is the time to voice your opinion and support the option to develop an appropriate sized Fenced Off-Leash Area FOLA at the Terrigal Haven. 

To meet the growing needs of the region and to support a harmonious dog-park the larger the better utilising the available grassed area on the NE Headland would serve the needs of large and small dogs and the owners needs for exercise too. 

 

 

 

Central Coast Council are ignoring 70% public opinion and proposing to make the existing Off-Leash Area (OLA) Terrigal Haven Dog Park, On-Leash only.          

This Change.Org Petition is not just about gaining support for our dogs to continue being allowed to be off-leash at The Haven - it’s way more than that.  It’s about our inherent right as a Community to be heard, it’s about a Council under Administration,  ignoring what 69% of the people have voted for.      

It’s about CCCouncil removing existing amenities for people with disabilities and mobility issues.   It’s about removing an asset that brings locals and tourists to The Haven specifically to be around dogs.  

I have been visiting The Haven DogPark for 1-3 hrs daily for the past five years.  I can say from observation that the headland that the DogPark is  situated upon is mostly used by locals and dogs and their owners during the week, with a higher number of tourists during the weekends and holidays.  I have met many people who come to the DogPark specifically because they can’t have dogs of their own but enjoy the company of the dogs at the Park.  Even setting up picnics in the middle of the park to make sure they get their doggy-fix.

Australia needs to be more progressive like Europe in regards to making dogs more socialised around other dogs.  We need to encourage owners to train their dogs to behave properly when they are around other dogs, this only happens when they are exposed to each other and poor behaviour can be nipped in the bud.  

Keeping dogs locked in backyards or cages and on leash only encourages territory guarding and poor-socialisation which can lead to aggressive behaviour and attacks if the dog gets out.  

Of 281 reported dog attacks to CCCouncil in 2021-22, (165) of these were on public roads or footpaths, (79) on private property, (16) public spaces beaches or parks.  Animal victims of attacks were primarily other dogs, but also livestock, poultry, cats.

 

Less than 7.5% (21) of the reported dog attacks occurred in Off-leash Dog Parks.

 

The Haven Dog Park is currently an existing Off-Leash Area used by many people for many years to not only exercise and socialise their dogs but also for the amenity that it provides to the owners.  CCCouncil want to change this and make it on-leash only.

Walking a dog-off leash is completely different to walking a dog on-leash.  

Off-leash dog parks allow people to mingle with their dogs without being pulled by the leash.  Particularly, being pulled in different directions if you have more than one dog on leash.  It is scientifically proven the mental-health benefits of both dogs and humans enjoying Off-leash activity and play.   Dog-owners get to mingle while exercising and socialising their dogs and provide the opportunity for people to practice training techniques that you otherwise couldn’t on lead. Dogs are social, sentient beings and behave differently when they are off-leash and able to mingle unrestrained. 

Many of the people that use the DogPark and have voted for it to remain off-leash are elderly and people with limited mobility or are at falls risk if they were to walk their dogs on leads.  

The Haven OLA is unique from the other local Off-Leash areas ( Nth Avoca and Wamberal Beaches) in that it is grassed, has concrete pathways, and is floodlit at night.  

Walking the local OLA Beaches is simply not an option for people with mobility issues, injuries or disabilities.  I personally know of one 76 year old lady who uses the Haven OLA Dog Park and has done so for many years as she has had three falls whilst attempting to walk her dogs on lead and becoming entangled in the leads. This lady is devastated at the thought that CCCouncil are proposing to remove this existing amenity.  I have both back and knee injuries making it really difficult to walk on sand.

WHY?

CCCouncil has primarily cited Risk of Dogs falling off an unfenced cliff face and Risk of traffic accident in the adjacent carpark as primary reasons for changing the Dog Park to on-lead only.

 

“Risk” is exactly that - a chance, a possibility.  

 “Risk” is not a probability.

 

There is just as much risk, for a child to fall over the same unfenced cliff face or run out into the same carpark and be injured as there is for a dog. 

 

The responsibility lies “always”  with the dog owner to be in control of their dog. 

 

CCCouncil already have warning signage at the cliff face and have recently installed a significant stone barrier wall which has effectively mitigated the “risk”.  

The carpark and adjacent roads within The Haven are rated 15km zones and far slower than adjacent roads to any of  the other local OLA and OLA Beaches.  The closest main road in The Haven (60km) is over 4-500m away.  

 

CCCouncil appear to be clutching at straws to provide a credible reason to support their argument.

Another cited reason is general public being approached by dogs in areas adjacent to the Off-leash area.  

Currently, the DogPark is situated on the North-Eastern Headland within The Haven.  

The DogPark is demarcated by ‘invisible’ fences and there can be some confusion to exact boundaries.  

Fencing the DogPark is not an outcome favoured by most but CCCouncil could mitigate any confusion around boundaries by the addition of very clear signage indicating that people could be exposed to the presence of Off-leash dogs when entering the North-eastern headland that the DogPark is situated on.

 This would allow anyone who possibly has a fear of dogs the knowledge to make an informed choice whether to enter the Headland the DogPark is situated upon or to utilise multiple other accessible areas within The Haven.

 

Terrigal Haven or The Haven, is a Reserve on the NSW Central Coast and is an area of Crown Land which covers approximately 10.5 ha of the headland adjacent to the suburb of Terrigal.  Central Coast Council (CCC) are trustee of the reserve.

The Haven is a popular local and tourist destination and is made up a couple of grassed headlands, the North-east one hosting  the existing Off-Leash dog park and another being the iconic Skillion.  In addition, there is a grassed sporting field surrounded by a walking path, grassed picnic areas, a protected beach, accessible rock platforms, a suspended boardwalk, car parking and a couple of cafes at either end of the beach.

CC Council have developed an action plan which recommends changing the existing Off-Leash DogPark to on-leash only.  CCCouncil asked in a survey for Community opinions regarding the DogPark. There were more submissions regarding the action plan than there were regarding rate rises!

69% of respondents to CCCouncil survey voted for the The Haven Dog Park to REMAIN Off-Leash. Despite this CCCouncil are continuing to push ahead with their proposal to make the Dog Park on-leash only.

We need CCCouncil to listen to what the people have voted for. Please sign this petition asking CCCouncil to leave The Haven dog park as an off- leash  area

 

Time is of the essence as Central Coast Council (CCC) are continuing to ignore the results of their own Public Survey and are pushing ahead with plans to make Terrigal Haven Dog Park ‘on-leash only’ and will be presenting the plan for adoption by the Administrator imminently.

Central Coast Council are currently under Administration after it was sacked for financial mismanagement by NSW Government in October 2020.