News

Support for the Lights on for Dogs program

15 November 2023

Between 30 May – 19 August 2022 and 5 June – 2 September 2023, we heard from 165 dog owners, dog-owner community groups, resident sports clubs, neighbouring residents as well as the general Bayside community via an online survey and Q&A; email, phone, and mail correspondence; and conversations with Local Laws Officer on patrol at sportsgrounds.

Participants strongly supported the continuation of the Lights on for Dogs program:

  • 2023: 70% participants – 49 out of 70
  • 2022: 85% participants – 81 out of 95

Female participants frequently provided positive feedback and talk about lighting regarding safety. Many participants commented on the importance of the facility itself and how the options were dog friendly. “Large, well-lit and enclosed reserves” was the most common positive feedback

Sports clubs using the grounds expressed a range of concerns and challenges with the program, including the impact on the condition of sports grounds, the increased utility costs (which are the responsibility of the sporting clubs) and the lack of automation, requiring someone to manually turn the lights on and off.

Council will consider the continuation of the program at its meeting on 21 November 2023.

Recommendation

It is being recommended that Council:

  • Continues the lights on for dogs program ongoing, with locations for the program being selected having regard to ground availability, condition and lighting.
  • Considers as part of the 2024/25 budget an allocation to offset sportsground lighting utility costs for participating sports clubs.
  • Identifies potential opportunities for designated dog off-leash areas in reserves containing sportsgrounds, in consultation with the Bayside Dog Alliance and sports clubs as part of the Open Space Strategy review.

Find out more

Read the complete report on community engagement

Next steps

Council will consider the continuation of the program at its meeting on 21 November 2023.

Council meeting 6.30pm, 21 November 2023

Read the agenda. The agenda for this meeting will be available on 15 November 2023

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