Greens want more dog parks

WOLLONGONG Greens Councillor Jill Merrin will be seeking support for more and better dog parks in Wollongong, at Monday night’s Council meeting.
A large number of public submissions to the draft Dogs on Beaches and Parks Policy have requested that Council provide more and better-resourced dog activity parks.
Cr Merrin said compared to other councils, including Shellharbour and Kiama, Wollongong does not cater well to dog owners and their pets. “Shellharbour Council, for example, has provided residents with a safe, fenced and landscaped dog activity park, complete with ‘dog agility equipment’, water sources, and picnic shelter,” she daid.
Cr Merrin said Kiama Council also provides dog parks.
“These parks do not cost a lot to install,” Cr Merrin said.
“With Shellharbour’s population about a third of Wollongong’s, there is no reason why we should not have at least one similar dog park in each of the three Wards of Wollongong.”
Cr Merrin’s motion aims for Council to investigate the types of dog parks in other council areas, their level of use, and their costs, and potential locations for a park in each Wollongong ward
“There’s been a lot of argument about dogs on beaches, but there is also strong agreement that people want to see proper park facilities for dogs. I don’t want us to forget that this policy is also about dogs in parks.”