Bass Coast endorses draft dogs in public places guidelines
Council puts Dogs in Public Places Guidelines out for four weeks of community consultation after dog owners group successfully lobbied to remove seasonal beach restriction extension.
Bass Coast Shire Council has endorsed its draft Dogs in Public Places Guidelines for community consultation after the document was stripped of a contentious proposal to extend seasonal beach restrictions.
The draft guidelines were endorsed at Wednesday’s council meeting and will go out for a four-week consultation period closing on May 13.
The guidelines are a key first-year action of the Domestic Animal Management Plan adopted in October and respond to strong community interest in how dogs are managed across beaches, parks and reserves.
They introduce a Bass Coast-wide framework for where dogs can be on or off-leash and where they are not permitted.
Bass Coast Mayor Cr Rochelle Halstead said the draft guidelines aim to strike the right balance between dog ownership and protecting shared spaces.
“Our community clearly told us that they want a more consistent and easier to understand approach to dogs in public places,” Cr Halstead said.
“These draft guidelines aim to create that clarity, while recognising that our open spaces are shared by many people and are also home to important local wildlife.”
Cr Halstead acknowledged the issue draws strong community sentiment and encouraged residents to have their say.
“Dogs play an important role in many households, supporting health and wellbeing, and we want to make sure there are great spaces for them,” she said.
“At the same time, we need to protect our environment and ensure everyone feels safe and comfortable in our shared places.”
The draft reaching council in its current form followed lobbying by the Phillip Island and Bass Coast Dog Owners Association which successfully pushed to have a proposal to extend seasonal restrictions from February 1 to February 28 removed from the guidelines.
“We had to lobby hard to have that removed from the guidelines,” association president Cheryl Owens said ahead of the meeting.
“These sorts of changes need to be evidence-based and there’s simply not the data to justify extending the restrictions.”
Ms Owens said the group would be watching council’s decisions closely and insisting any proposed changes be evidence-based and subject to extensive consultation.
She has also called for a new off-leash beach area between the San Remo Bridge and the Grollo Estate on the Newhaven side saying it would serve dog owners from San Remo, Newhaven and Phillip Island.
The guidelines come alongside other priority 2026 initiatives including the $81,208 Inverloch inland fenced dog park on the western side of town, enhanced patrols, local signage audits and messaging campaigns targeting visitors.
The draft guidelines were developed in consultation with council officers, key stakeholders and the Dogs Off Leash Working Group.
Community feedback can be submitted at engage.basscoast.vic.gov.au/DAMP until May 13.
