BY GARY-JON LYSAGHT
The Cessnock Greens have outlined their plan to call for
improved conditions at local off-leash dog parks across the Local Government
Area.
Some of the parks have been called little more than an open
field, while others have had their safety brought into question with un-fenced
storm water drains running nearby.
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| Council's are legally obliged to provide off-leash dog parks. |
Greens Candidate for Ward C David Atwell says Council don’t
need to do much to make the parks more inviting.
“The very basic stuff is putting in a tap with a water
trough. At the moment, I couldn’t find
one water tap level and something where the dogs can a drink of water on a
summer’s day,” he said.
“It would [also] be better to put in some more trees. Could put in some agility courses and what
not, doesn’t have to be anything major.”
Local Council's are legally obliged to provide off-leash parks as part of the State Government's Companion Animals Act 1998.
"There must at all times be at
least one public place in the area of a local authority that is an
off-leash area," the Act says.
It is up to the Council's discretion to decide when that park allows dogs to be exercised off-leash
The Cessnock LGA currently has six off-leash dog parks,
including two in Cessnock, while Branxton, Greta, Stanford Merthr and Weston
all have one each.
David Atwell has since called for one to be established in
Kurri Kurri.
“Kurri Kurri is Cessnock Council Area’s second largest
community after Cessnock itself, but there is no off-leash park in Kurri Kurri,”
he said.
“There are a number of parks around that area which could
cater for at least a section of the park being acting as off-leash.”
“I can’t see why that issue could not be raised in a future
council.”
Cessnock will be holding its local government election on
September 10.
[Image Source: Monmouth County Park].
