By Christine de Kock
DOG owners who walk their pets off-lead at Yarraville’s Greelish Oval are growling at rumours that new regulations will confine their activities to a smaller section of the park.
Pet owners now use Greelish Oval in Yarraville Gardens to walk their dogs off-lead but there is the suggestion that Maribyrnong City Council will change regulations and force dog owners to use the disused lawn bowls area instead.
West Footscray resident Fiona Gray said in a letter to Star that dog owners were “bemused and upset” by the news.
“One owner said council better provide dog ambulances because the proposed park is smaller and dogs will be colliding trying to chase the ball being thrown for them.”
A Yarraville resident who did not want to be named said 10 to 15 dog owners use Greelish Oval to walk their dog each night.
“The dogs run around in a pack and get a good run,” he said. “The other option doesn’t really allow room for them to run around like that.”
He said Greelish Oval also had a conveniently located car park and a fenced off area that prevented the dogs from running onto the road.
Maribyrnong leisure and open space manager Lisa King agreed there was discussion about making the disused lawn bowls area a dedicated off-lead zone. “Council completed a master plan for Yarraville Gardens in 2004. What came out of that consultation was a very strong desire for dog owners to have a dedicated dog off-lead area.
“Currently Greelish is not a dedicated off-lead area,” Ms King said.
“For example, Greelish Oval is allocated for sporting use and (then) it can’t be used as a dog off-lead area.”
At this stage dog owners are ousted from Greelish Oval 12 weeks of the year while the cricket is on.
“That’s our challenge, how to manage the limited public space that we’ve got so that all these uses can take place,” Ms King said.
“The strategy back in 2004 when the master plan was being developed was to acknowledge that need for a dedicated off-lead area which is what we’ve been working towards and what we’ve constructed over the past 12 months.”
The suggested changes to Yarraville Gardens will be raised during a public consultation process in October or November.
Ms King said those unhappy with the changes can raise their concerns during the consultation process.
Other changes include relocating the playground in the gardens closer to the oval.
Ms King said the council was aware the lawn bowls area was smaller and there was increased use of Greelish Oval by dog owners in recent years.
