The Dog Exercise Area Regional Plan and Network Blueprint aim to address the growing needs of our community and the increasing number of registered dogs. It focuses on safety and the health, wellbeing and vitality of our community, dogs and dog owners, while enhancing the region’s environment and liveability.

The plan evaluates the current dog exercise area network and suggests a future network that meets user needs while aligning with our region’s environmental and community values.

The plan’s development is based on analysing current data, dog ownership trends, industry research and consultation on our community’s and Council’s values.

Key features include:

• The types of future dog exercise areas and desired standards of service including levels of embellishment.

• Facilities requiring upgrades to meet the desired standards of service.

• The estimated number and size of future dog exercise areas needed to address current gaps, while also considering the needs of the wider open space network.

• Actions Council needs to take to support delivering the plan.

The plan aims to:

• Ensure safe and sufficient access to dog exercise areas near homes.

• Ensure dog owners have adequate access to the dog exercise area network, including dog off leash areas within a reasonable travel distance from their home.

• Provide a network blueprint for future dog exercise areas until 2045.

• Balance the needs of dog owners with other outdoor recreation demands.

• Protect environmental and cultural values, landscapes, habitats, and wildlife

• Enhance community safety and comfort in dog exercise areas and provides dog-free zones, acknowledging that not everyone using public spaces owns a dog or feels comfortable around them.

Yes, the draft plan proposes 19 new off-leash areas over the next 20 years and upgrades, including fencing to seven existing sites.

It also recommends enhancements and changes to existing areas including:

• Fencing of several unfenced sites to protect dogs and other park users

• Additional embellishments such as dedicated and separated wash down facilities at dog beaches

• Changes to dog access on sports fields – dogs continue to be allowed in common areas and prohibited on the playing surfaces

• Changes to dog access on beaches and foreshores, using an evidence-based approach and assessment tool to accommodate balance between recreational opportunities for dog owners, other beach users and the environment. The proposed future network will provide over 15 km of off-leash beach access and over 22 km on-leash beach access for dogs’.

• Introducing changes to dog access in environment reserves to better protect important environmental values while managing these areas in line with Council’s Environment and Liveability Strategy.

While the plan aims to expand and enhance dog access in many areas, it also proposes changes to some existing areas to ensure they are safe, sustainable and align with community and environmental priorities.

You can view the current and future proposed provisions here.

The draft plan recommends:

Council-wide dog off leash areas:

These are large areas for off-leash dogs, offering unique experiences such as water play. These attract dog owners from both within and outside the Sunshine Coast.

They are accessible to residents within a 20km radius.

They consist of parks that are at least 3 hectares in size or are more than 1km of coastline.

District dog off leash areas:

These are larger areas with separate spaces for small and large dogs, enhanced activity areas, and facilities for social gatherings.

They are accessible to residents within a 7.5km radius.

There is one dog off leash area for every 5000 dogs.

They consist of parks that are at least 10,000m2 in size or less than 1km of coastline.

Local dog off leash areas:

These are small, accessible areas for local communities to exercise and socialise their dogs.

They are accessible to residents within a 2km radius.

There is one dog off leash area for every 1,500 dogs.

They consist of parks that are at least 2,000m2 in size.

• Equitably distributed off-leash areas for dogs and their owners to enjoy while also recommending access restrictions to areas where dogs could potentially cause impacts to other recreational activities, public safety, the environment and/or cultural heritage.

• Additional fencing of existing off-leash areas such as nearby roadways and where impacts to other park users may occur.

• The ability for Council officers to effectively patrol designated areas.

• Improved signage and consistent regulations for dog exercise areas to reduce potential user confusion.

• Expanded education programs to encourage responsible pet ownership.

The draft plan recommends several strategic actions including:

• Implementing a decision-making framework and multi-criteria risk assessment tool, that considers social, environmental, cultural and management values and risks to guide the provision of dog exercise areas across the region’s open spaces.

• Changes to dog access on beaches, and environment reserves to better protect environmental values.

• Continued engagement with Traditional Custodians to ensure the protection of cultural values.

Council has developed a decision-making framework and multi criteria risk assessment tools to assess the potential impact of dog exercise areas on existing and future sites. The multi criteria risk assessment is an important tool that provide a consistent and objective approach to evaluations, to protect core values and guide rational and appropriate decision making into the future.

Three individual multi criteria risk assessments have been developed to assess the impact of dog access (consequence) within recreation parks and sport parks; beaches and foreshores; and environment reserves based on identified criteria and can be found from page 53 to 57 of the draft plan.

See the table here that outlines the key reasons contributing to the proposed changes for beaches, as assessed through the Multi-Criteria Risk Assessment process.

Community feedback is highly valued and will be carefully reviewed, considered, and presented to Council. This feedback will help refine the draft plan to better align with community priorities and values.

The recommendations will be implemented as funding becomes available from sources such as:

• Council’s capital works program

• Local Government Infrastructure Plan funding

• Developer contributions

• Grants.