General News
24 April, 2025
Survey on dog parks sought
DOG owners who use the off-leash park in Atherton are being asked to take part in a survey so Tablelands Regional Council can make decisions about the future of the facility.
The dog park is in the spotlight after Cr Kevin Cardew asked for a dividing fence to be installed to separate smaller dogs from larger breeds after he received a number of requests from the community.
But at its March meeting, councillors were told installing a fence was not going to be a simple task, and that due to the existing dog park being on heritage-listed land, which was “currently subject to confidential discussions”, council would be required to apply for a Heritage Exemption Certificate through the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation.
In 2024, officers pursued the matter with the department which provided an exemption certificate with the condition that TRC would need to organise training for officers performing works and have relevantly qualified representatives on site.
Chief executive officer Nikola Stepanov also disputed the fact that the fence was needed to separate different dogs according to size, saying she had been told it was more about “active dogs and inactive dogs”.
Last week, the council launched an online survey to determine what the users of the dog park wanted.
“We’ve had multiple and sometimes conflicting requests for changes at the park so we’re reaching out to the community to find out more,” Mayor Rod Marti said.
“We want to know how dog owners use the park and if they’ve encountered any problems.
“We’re also keen to hear if the park should have a dividing fence and, if so, how the dogs should be divided e.g. size, weight, etc.
“And while we’ve got the attention of dog owners, we also want to hear ideas for other managed dog parks in the region.”
Anyone who wants to have their say on dog parks can complete the survey by going to www.trc.qld.gov.au/join-conversation by Sunday 18 May.
