After considering community feedback on dog control at Linklater Reserve, we’re proposing to change the rules and make the area from the Kelvin Grove Road carpark up to the aeroplane on-leash only. Please tell us what you think.
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Earlier this year, we asked the community about how you like to use Linklater Reserve, and if you would support making parts of the reserve an on-leash area. At the moment, all of the reserve is an off-leash dog exercise area, apart from the children’s play spaces where dogs aren’t allowed at all.
The feedback followed a request and subsequent petition from the Kelvin Grove Community Association to make part of the reserve on-leash. The reason for the request was that sometimes dogs that are not properly controlled can make it hard for other people to enjoy the reserve. The association shared comments from people who’d had bad or scary experiences at the reserve with unleashed dogs.
It’s important that all people in the community can fairly and safely use our public spaces, this includes our dog exercise areas. We encourage responsible dog ownership and know this means keeping our dogs well exercised and well socialised. We also know that Linklater Reserve is one of the most popular parks in the city, so we want to make sure that it meets the needs of as many people as possible.
We’ve been considering your earlier feedback
Most of you told us that you like the off-leash controls at Linklater Reserve, and that you didn’t want these to change. Some of you weren’t sure and wanted to know how much of a change we would be looking at, while others wanted to have some of the reserve made on-leash. Our community didn’t agree on everything, but you did agree on these things:
- Linklater Reserve is a great space to enjoy a variety of recreational activities, with or without a dog.
- Dogs need to be exercised and socialised.
- Most owners are responsible, and their dogs well behaved and under control while off-leash at the reserve.
- Sometimes off-leash dogs that are not properly under control can make it feel unsafe for others at the reserve.
- It is important that everyone, and their dogs, can fairly and safely use the reserve.
Read the Statement of Proposal(PDF, 2MB)
We’re proposing to make around half the reserve on-leash
Elected Members considered all of your feedback and heard a presentation from the Kelvin Grove Community Association. During the presentation, the association put forth a petition and shared comments from people who’d been attacked or had bad experiences from off-leash dogs while at the reserve, making them not want to return.
Elected Members voted to seek further community feedback on their preferred option of making the area from the Kelvin Grove Road carpark up to the aeroplane, which is around half of the reserve, an on-leash area. This would mean dogs would need to be on-leash in these areas of the reserve:
- around the access gates to the reserve from the Kelvin Grove Road carpark, where dogs are likely to pass close to one another and to other people
- around the children’s play equipment, bike track, and the BBQ areas.
A split of on-leash and off-leash areas would:
- ensure off-leash dogs at Linklater Reserve don’t pose a safety risk to the community or other dogs at the reserve
- keep plenty of space in our city for dogs to be exercised and socialised off-leash
- continue to encourage responsible dog ownership
- ensure that everyone can enjoy spending time at Linklater Reserve fairly and safely.
The map shows the extent of the proposed change, which would make the area outlined in yellow on-leash only. The blue area remains off-leash.
To make it easy for everyone to follow the rules, we would install a fence with gates between the two areas.
Like with all consultations, Elected Members will carefully consider your feedback and may choose to stick with the status quo, proceed with the proposal, or make changes based on community feedback and other technical advice.
This consultation is only about Linklater Reserve and doesn’t affect any other rules for dogs in the city. If you’re unsure about where in the city you can exercise your dog off-leash, and where they must be on-leash, check out the dog exercise areas.
Let us know your thoughts by 4pm 28 July
What do you think? Is the on-leash area we’ve proposed a good compromise? Let us know by filling out the submission form below. You can also speak to Elected Members about your submission.
Click here to view form.