Project objective
We’re committed to ensuring Bayside’s recreation facilities meet the evolving and broad needs of our community.
To deliver a key action of the Domestic Animal Management Plan 2022-26, the winter sportsground lighting trial will investigate opportunities to facilitate structured community access to Bayside sportsgrounds, one evening per-week, outside of training and match allocation times.
Sportsground lighting will be turned on between 5:30pm and 8:30pm at three off-leash sportsgrounds while they are not being used for organised sport:
- RJ Sillitoe Reserve, Hampton on Mondays
- William Street Reserve, Brighton on Tuesdays
- RG Chisholm Reserve, Sandringham on Fridays
The trial program will commence 30 May 2022 and run until 19 August 2022.
Project impacts
The purpose of the trial is to understand if this program is of benefit to local dog owners, measure expected use, and understand impacts from any increased use.
To select locations for the trial, sportsgrounds were assessed against three key criteria:
- Are identified Dog Off Leash areas,
- Has no scheduled sporting activity on the selected evening, and
- Has available sportsground lighting.
The three sportsgrounds selected met the above criteria and were identified as suitable locations for the trial.
The trial will be evaluated using a range of data (see decision-making process section below) to determine if this program should be continued or expanded.
What information do we need from the community?
We want to understand community experiences of the trial to help us determine if the program should be continued or expanded.
What can the community influence?
- Whether the trial program is continued at the sportsgrounds included in the 2022 trial
- Off-leash sportsgrounds to be considered for Winter 2023, should the program continue
What can’t the community influence?
- Section criteria for sportsgrounds to be included in the 2022 trial
- Duration of the winter 2022 trial 30 May – 19 August 2022
- Days, times, and locations for the 2022 trial
- Infrastructure changes to sportsgrounds, eg provision of gates
- Council reserves the right to discontinue the delivery of the project without notice and for any reason, however particular notice will be placed on the condition of sportsgrounds and behaviour of pet owners in regard to responsible pet ownership.
Stakeholders and community
This stakeholder assessment is a generalised understanding of sections of the community that have a connection to the project or matter. This information is used to understand the types of tools and techniques that will achieve the strongest and most effective outcomes for engagement and communication.
- Impact: What level of change the stakeholder / community segment may experience as a result of the project / matter
- Interest: What level of interest has been expressed or is anticipated
- Influence: Reference to the IAP2 Spectrum
Stakeholder / community | Impact | Interest | Influence |
| Dog owners | M | H | Consult |
| Resident sports clubs | H | H | Consult |
| Neighbouring residents | M | M | Consult |
| General Bayside community | L | L | Consult |
Selected tools and techniques
The tools and techniques selected for this project are informed by the project content, stakeholders and type of feedback sought.
Key tools for communicating the project
- Large scale signage at sportsgrounds included in the trial
- Postcards distributed to residents within approx. >350m radius of sportsgrounds and available at Bayside libraries and Corporate Centre.
- Website news stories and This Week in Bayside e-newsletter
- Direct email to key stakeholders
- Social media, including community pages
- Local Laws Officer patrols
Key methods for gathering feedback
- Online engagement through Have Your Say, including opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback
- Conversations with Local Laws Officer on patrol at sportsground included in the trial
- Correspondence including email, phone and mail.
Project timelines
- Winter off-leash sportsground lighting trial 2022: 20 May - 19 August 2022
- Evaluation: September - October 2022
- Future winter off-leash sportsground lighting program: Winter 2023, pending outcomes of the 2022 trial
Decision-making process
Evaluation of the trial will include local community feedback from dog owners, sports clubs and neighbouring residents; ground inspections; and Local Laws officer feedback on community uptake and adherence to pet owner responsibilities during on-site patrols.
Local Laws officers will document observations from regular patrols of each sportsground involved in the trial to provide data on community uptake and dog owner compliance with responsible pet ownership.
We will also undertake routine inspections of sportsgrounds involved in the trial to assess condition and cleanliness – in particular uncollected poo and holes dug by dogs which require urgent maintenance to prevent sports injury.
We’re also seeking feedback from the community to understand their experiences, which would help to shape any future programs.
It is important to note that the condition of sportsgrounds naturally deteriorates across the winter season. While regular monitoring and evaluation will occur, this will be balanced against the respective winter sport loading and associated weather conditions that will also contribute to ground conditions.
Council reserves the right to discontinue the delivery of the project without notice and for any reason, however particular notice will be placed on the condition of sportsgrounds and behaviour of pet owners in regard to responsible pet ownership.
It is expected that the program will be evaluated in September – October 2022. Should the program be continued, Council will plan a winter 2023 program based on community feedback from the trial and sportsground allocations for community sport for the winter 2023 season.
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More information
Thomas Humphries
Recreation and Events Coordinator | Open Space, Recreation & Wellbeing
D 03 9599 4865
